


One Bite

by goddess_of_time_and_magic



Series: One Bite Series [1]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Angst, Death, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gods and Goddesses, Greek - Freeform, Greek gods, Hades - Freeform, Hades and Persephone, Immortal, King - Freeform, King and Queen, Love, Persephone - Freeform, Queen - Freeform, Rape, Sex, Underworld, Violence, War, alternative universe, greek goddesses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2018-08-27 20:57:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 30
Words: 38,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8416477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_of_time_and_magic/pseuds/goddess_of_time_and_magic
Summary: One night, Hannah (Demeter) lay with the god Morpheus and when the time came, she gave birth to their daughter, Hermione (Persephone), the goddess of spring time. Draco (Hades) has been sitting in his throne room in the Underworld judging the dead and being judged by his family. One day, he had had enough and so decides to steal the one thing that everyone loved... Hermione.Do they fall in love? And if so, will war's mighty strength try to rip them apart?





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> In Greek Mythology, Persephone is actually the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, but I decided to make Persephone the daughter of Morpheus and Demeter. Just wanted to let my fellow Greek mythology peoples know so this story doesn't get confusing.

"The Devil comes in dreams to me.  
He sings me soft goodnight.  
His cold hand upon my neck and leaves when comes the light.  
His eyes are molten grey and ice.  
His hair, fresh moonlit snow,  
His steps are a shadow on the moors that lead to far below.  
The Devil wakes me in my sleep and calls by my name.  
A voice like fire leaves his younger and drowns me in its flame.  
His lips, a map of ancient stars.  
His hands are molten steel.  
And when he leaves as comes the light.  
It's loneliness I feel."  
\- Unknown


	2. Prologue

Sing to the writer Muses of the first of the twelve Olympian Gods to be born- the Great Six: Harry (Zeus) the lord of the skies, Draco (Hades) the lord of the dead, Neville (Poseidon) the lord of the sea, Ginny (Hera) the lady of marriage, Hannah (Demeter) the lady of agriculture, and Pansy (Hestia) the lady of the hearth. Then the other six were Lily (Athena) the lady of wisdom, Blaise (Apollo) the lord of the sun, Astoria (Artemis) the lady of the moon, Theo (Ares) the lord of war, Cho (Aphrodite) the lady of love, Ron (Hephaestus) the lord of the craft, Dean (Hermes) the lord of messengers and thieves, and Seamus (Dionysus) the lord of wine. They ruled over the land of Greece from their mighty home on Mt. Hogwarts and all prospered.

Of the Great Six, Harry, the king, was a just ruler and chose what was best for everyone. But, like all kings, he had a fatal flaw. Woman. He would cheat on his wife and queen, Ginny, but he did love her in his own way and she took her jealousy out of his woman. Turning them into whatever she sought fit, many did not escape her all-seeing eye. He returned to her, though, every night, whispering sweet nothings in her ears. 

Neville, the second brother, preferred the Sea to the busy grumblings of Mt. Hogwarts, but visited as often as was needed of him. Neville had many love affairs like his brother before the First Wizarding War in Troy, but afterwards, he fell in love with the sea goddess, Luna. Luna was his equal in all the ways a woman and man could be and, together, they were happy, having many children. 

Draco, the third brother, was a quiet soul. He had no one after the First Wizarding War with their father. Many of the other deities held a distaste for him, which he did not mind. He did not like them either. But, deep within his soul, he craved a friend, a lover, a family, a queen... Thinking no one would ever love a god such as he, he slithered back to his Palace in the Underworld. There he sits on his throne of cold dark metal judging the dead. 

Pansy, their dear sister, was a gentle goddess when she wanted to be. A perk that she loved about herself was her ability to understand people before they could even understand themselves and many did not like her for it. Though she was a simple goddess who preserved the homes hearth, she could be harsh and unmerciful whenever she saw fit. No one dared crossed her. After the First Wizarding War, she fell in love with a certain war god, Theo, who would never return her feelings for he was too caught up in his affections to the goddess of love, Cho. Pansy, heartbroken and at a lost, promised herself that she would never give herself up to any man. She stayed a virgin long after the War even with the attempts made by her brother, Harry. 

Hannah, the goddess of the Harvest, was a lonely woman and she was loved by all, but she never thought of returning it. But, one god did capture her attention, Morpheus, the god of sleep and dreams. For one night, they lay together and when the time came, Hannah (Demeter) gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and called her Hermione (Persephone), the goddess of spring time...


	3. Chapter One

Hermione breathed in the fresh air of the afternoon sun. She smiled as she exhaled. The sky opened up above her and the rolling land was soothing to her mind. Spring hung in the air heavily and she basked in its glow. Hermione made her way to a secluded spot along the grassy beach near the pond and sat down in the grass, picking at the red poppies there as her mind drifted. Her mind always drifted to far off places that she had never been too. For example, the far shores of Troy on the Aegean Sea, or the cliffs where strong and just Hercules completed his tenth task, always fascinated her.

Her mother thought she was crazy not to be interested in the topics other goddesses her age adored. Hermione made a face at the long list her mother had read off on her: weaving, looms, needles, gossip, competitions of the arts, make up, more gossip, and, worst of all, _gods_. No, she rather read books; studying the world and the inventions her best friend, Ron (Hephaestus), created.

Hermione was a rare specimen, a beautiful creature, but the males amongst her kind thought nothing of her due to her philosophy based needs. She did not care though. She was fine with staying the way she was, like Pansy (Hestia) and her best girl friend, Astoria (Artemis).

There was a high pitched giggle that broke her thoughts and she snapped her head to look behind her. Her brown eyes narrowed as she glared at the five girls that were her companions, her mother's doing. There were about five of them, nymphs with a variety of hair colors. They were packed together, picking flowers to bring to her mother, or some helpless mortal who happened upon them. Hermione rolled her eyes at them. Like any mortal would want a flower from them.

Suddenly, she heard a voice.

"Hermione," she heard a soft voice call for her. Her gaze looked out at the pond before. It was eerily still, "Hermione," the voice called to her again, urgency laced within it.

She stood up, her poppy crown falling to the grass, "Hello!" she called out, her eyes continuing to search for the source of the voice.

"Hermione."

She stepped toward the pond, hoping the new angle would reveal the stranger. Looking behind her, she noticed that her companions had their backs turned to her and were _not_ paying attention to her as her mother had _instructed_ them to do so. She gave a grateful sigh; they were annoying more than anything.

Hermione looked back at the water. This time the liquid rippled and bubbles floated to the top of the once mirror like pond. She had only ever seen a cooking pot full of stew act like this before, but she was not startled. Instead, curiosity filled her mind at the possibilities this new information would give to the intellectual world. Lily (Athena), the goddess of wisdom, would be so proud of her, she thought.

The ground, suddenly, began to shake. She stayed standing, though, due to all the years of training with Astoria she had partaken in. Hermione glanced behind her once again, but her companions still seemed to have not noticed her.

Her ears, abruptly, heard the sound of something breaking the water and she turned to look back at the bubbling pond. From the sky blue liquid, two, large, black heads with glowing red eyes appeared. With those heads came two identical horse bodies, their short fur was black like midnight. From their noses, smoke snorted and water sizzled as if they were the sun. With their bodies, a chariot appeared from the boiling water. Hermione could make out the sides of the vehicle. Skulls and bones were carved in rich gold, like liquor from the gods. The faces, the skulls held, were horrific with wide, gaping black holes for mouths like they died mid scream. Hermione's wide, brown eyes traced the chariot up to the body that occupied the driver's seat.

Water dripped down onto to the grass as the chariot rolled onto the beach before her. And everything seemed to slow down.

Hermione peered at the chariot's occupant. There a young man stood. She noticed he had striking, white hair that was, in fact, blonde. He was pale like freshly decaying bones and lanky from head and toe, but he had muscles which were much more prominent with the indents on his silver armor. His chest plate, Hermione noted, was inlaid with gold and around his neck was a black ripped cloak which dangled around him like some doll. On his blonde hair was a crown made of the darkest metal Hermione had ever seen on both the Heavens and the Earth. Its design was strikingly powerful for the metal tips stuck out every which way. Her brown eyes connected with his, a grey like storm clouds. But these eyes, unlike the clouds that King Harry (Zeus) created when he was angered, had a softness to them. One that she was sure very little people saw. She recognized this man immediately as the brother that Harry (Zeus) and Neville (Poseidon) rarely spoke of. A god that was left in exile and a king lost in the shadows. It was, Draco (Hades), King of the Underworld.

"Hermione," it was _his_ voice that had called out to her.

Speedily, Draco (Hades), slapped the reins against the rear ends of the horses and the horses reared up on their back legs, before charging toward her. Her heartbeat raced in her chest as she backed away from the wild horses. She screamed for her companions, turning to run toward them, but they failed to notice the commotion going on a couple feet from them. If she made it out of this situation without any scrapes and bruises, she promised to personally send those five nymphs to Tartarus.

Around her waist, all of a sudden, she felt a strong arm wrap around her and she was lifted off the ground. She screamed, again, for her companion's. Her legs flared around her chlamys as she kicked at the God of the Dead. She hit her mark several times, but Draco (Hades) did not seem to be effected.

"Stop!" Draco yelled out, his voice sharp and piercing.

"Let me go!" she screamed, continuing to kick at the older god.

Draco, in response, wrapped his arm tighter around her, bringing their bodies closer together. With his free hand, he pulled the reins to the left turning the chariot around in one fluid motion. The horses raced toward the pond and Hermione screamed more, "Let me go, you _MONSTER_!"

She had hit a nerve because Draco's eyes flashed with fire, literally, as he looked down at her. She gulped and felt like apologizing and then realized what he was doing and she glared at him, hard and cold. The cool water of the pond washed over them and soon they were engulfed and darkness overcame her.

* * *

 

Hermione groaned as she felt a massive amount of pain sweep in beneath her eyelids and she opened her eyes. To her, it felt like she had a little _too_ much wine after certain celebrations. The first thing that she noticed when she opened her eyes was the high arches of the room. They were like the entrance halls on Mt. Hogwarts, but they were not white, but black of some unknown stone she was not familiar with.

"You're awake!" a male voice called, completely unfamiliar to her.

Next to her on the bed, she felt someone sit down, but her head ached so badly, she could barely make out anything dark in the room. Abruptly, she smelled a heavy scent wash over her; it was unfamiliar to her. Thinking she was on Mt. Hogwarts, she thought, _when did Blaise (Apollo) start wearing that stuff?_

Sitting up, she groaned once again as her head felt like a parade of horses with chariots and the charioteers had raced over her head, "Agh! Where am I?"

"Umm, well," the man responded with uncertainty in his voice.

At this, her eye sight began to clear and sitting before her was Draco (Hades). He looked down at her softly, worry glowing in his eyes.

She groaned again, but this time in disgust, and fell back onto the soft bed murmuring, "It was real. It was real. It was real," Draco (Hades) reached out and gently touched her  wavy, brown hair, which was smooth and calm beneath his touch. Hermione slapped his hand away, the hit only a slight sting on his hand, "Don't touch me!" she growled, but it was more of a hiss to Draco.

Draco studied her with a curious smile. She was still so young, though, she looked about eighteen years old to a mortal. A little bit too old to be married, but Draco was not surprised after all since her mother was Hannah who always seemed to a stick up her arse. Draco's grey eyes fell to her brown which were hard and unforgiving.

He chuckled, "My, my, my, you are feisty."

" _What_ am I doing here?" she growled at him once again, pulling the soft silk sheets up over her chest as she felt bare and vulnerable under his gaze. There was something about him that she couldn't quite figure out.

His quick silver eyes narrowed in at her movement and he memorized the swell of her breast with her breathing in that quick moment, "Harry has given me permission to take you," he simply said.

"Why?" she glared at him.

His hand suddenly began to move and she flinched, her brown eyes watching as Draco placed the hand on her knee. He then moved toward her so quickly, like a predator, and leaned into her ear. His voice, she noted, was sensual and loving and kind, in an odd sort of way, "I've always _wanted_ you Hermione. Always," his breathing ticked the soft skin beneath her air and it sent a shiver down her spine. This did not go unnoticed this and Draco smiled in accomplishment.

Her voice caught in her throat as she watched him carefully move away from her, "I've... I've never wanted you... so," she swallowed the lump in her throat, her brown eyes connecting with his, "So, I demand that you let me go. Let me deal with King Harry."

Draco chuckled, "I don't think so," but his face grew serious, "You are to stay here forever as my _wife_. You will be my Queen and you will _never_ leave the Underworld."

Hermione's eyes saw red as she felt anger swell inside her, but her vision also blurred with tears. She thought, _I may never see the Sun again nor eat in the large hall_ , and she burst into tears. Her strength left her, "I will never marry you!" she yelled at him.

At her defiance, Draco growled so low in his chest that Hermione could feel it crawl across the bed to her. His hand snapped up and grabbed her chin forcefully so she could not look away from him, "I am a god, Hermione, King of the Underworld and I always get what I want," he forced her chin away from him. Her head snapped to the left, but she kept it there, finding a spot on the sheets for her blurry eyes to look at, "I will send a servant in to get you dressed in your gown," she felt him get up from the bed and slowly begin to walk away from her, "And then you _will_ meet me out on the patio looking over the garden."

"No," she murmured between her tears, but Draco just slammed the door shut.

She continued to cry once he left, collapsing back onto the bed. Hours seemed to past and her sadness calmed and, as she breathed in, a deep unknown spicy smell came over her. She tilted her head to the side, finding that the smell was coming from the pillow and she buried her head within its fluffy confinements. It was a small heaven in this hell that she suddenly found herself in. Inhaling the scent, the goddess of springtime did not realize that she was becoming addicted to it, so slowly and unconsciously.

Unexpectedly, there was a small knock on the door and Hermione jumped at the guilty pleasure she had let herself surrender to. Breathing a sigh to calm her heart, she called out, "Come in."

"Mistress?" a small female voice croaked.

Hermione looked up and stared at the small ghostly like figure before her. The figure had curly blonde hair that faded in and out from dirty blonde to grey to invisible. Her eyes, for it was a female, had no spark of life to them and they were a dull brown, a muddy cross between brown and grey. She wore a long chlamys similar to Hermione's own but this chlamys of hers was torn in different areas, some areas showing a patch of pale skin, mainly around her hips.

"Are you the servant Draco was talking about?" Hermione murmured. His name tasted like poison on her virgin tongue and she would admit that she found it slightly addicting but she quickly dissolved that thought. She wouldn't let him get to her, she promised.

The girl nodded, "I am Lavender."

"Like the flower," Hermione noted sadly.

Lavender noticed this, "I can have another name if mine offends you."

Hermione shook her head, "No, it's your name. I shouldn't be the reason for you to change it. It reminds me of spring, of what I am leaving, that is all," and then she had a thought. Snapping her head in Lavender's direction, she yelled, "Did Draco put you up to this? Did he want me to mourn my life before now?" at the servant's silence, she yelled out again, " _Tell me_!"

Lavender shook and she bowed her head, "No, mistress. King Draco told me no such thing."

Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief, but she realized her mistake, "Oh, Lavender, I am sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. A lot has happened to me this day. I was not in control of my emotions. Please forgive me."

Lavender shook her head and kneeled before the weeping goddess, "You don't need my forgiveness, my lady. I was like this once. When I first came here," she told her story, "I was sad, confused at what had happened to me, but then King Draco took me and gave me shelter. And he said to me, ' _Lavender, it's not so dreadful down here_.'"

Hermione burst out laughing. She had a pretty laugh, almost like the first sighs of spring. Lavender found it refreshing. Hermione laughed because, after his act a few hours ago, she could _hardly_ believe what she was hearing. Could he really be so kind? "Oh, Lavender. Did he really say that?" Lavender nodded in response, but confused as to why the goddess of spring time was laughing. Hermione kept on her cheerful smile, "Well, thank you for making me feel a little better in this dark and gloomy place. My mother always said that humor did wonders to the body."

Lavender nodded, still not quite sure what to make of the young and beautiful goddess before her. She smiled as she stood up from before Hermione, "I hope you will soon come to call this place home, my lady," and she walked to other side of the room to a large wooden chest that lay there.

Hermione simply scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Yes, like I plan on staying here and call this place _aρχική σελίδα_ (home)," she murmured to herself.

Lavender heard those words and simply gave the darkness of the room a knowing smile.


	4. Chapter Two

         Hannah (Demeter) was a wise old bat, the animal Ginny used to describe her, and she knew something was up when her heart seemed to ache. It ran through her body like some distant drum, numbing her like some deadly poison. Then she felt the sound of weeping girls in her blessed fields. Quickly, the goddess of the harvest rushed away from Mt. Hogwarts as fast as the summer breeze could take her. She soon got to the small meadow where the sounds of sorrow were coming from. Her heart beat out of her chest as she realized this was where she had sent her daughter for the day.

“My dears, what is the matter?” she asked, fear coursing through her ichor filled veins. One of the girls looked up and her brown eyes widened. Her lips trembled as she thought about what she was going to say. 

“Madame!” the girl shrieked and, throwing herself at the goddess, hung onto Hannah’s (Demeter’s) long chlamys. 

Soon the other girls joined in shrieking, “Madame! Madame! Madame!”

“Girls!” she yelled for they made so much noise at once that they sound like a pack of sirens. They stopped, cowering back in fear of the Harvest Goddess as they felt the glowing aura brush against their own, “Tell me, what _is_ the matter, calmly?”

“Hermione!” one shrieked.

“Gone!” another yelled back.

“Swallowed by the pond!” another echoed.

Hannah felt her heart stop; it _was_ her daughter… and she gasped. Tears sprung loose from the waterworks hidden behind her peachy eyelids, “What?”

“Hermione-,” the girls tried to say, but Hannah raised a shaky hand to silence them.

The mother goddess dropped to the grass, her legs too weak to try to keep standing, “My baby girl is gone.”

The nymphs stayed silent as the goddess, who always seemed to be content, was swept away in sadness and sorrow and was weeping before their feet like some common mortal. One of the nymphs felt pity toward this new childless mother and was brave enough to step forward and place a gentle hand on the goddess’ shaking shoulder.

Hannah only cried harder, her body racked with uncontrollable sops. Her cries of sorrow echoing across the land and the crops heard her cry. Then another hand joined the other until every girl had at least one hand on the goddess, each giving her the strength and comfort she desperately needed. 

But, there was an extra pair of hands that belonged to an extra body that was not there before. The girls did not seem to notice, nor the harvest goddess, however as soon as they landed on her, all her sorrow was swept away from her mind. She felt healthy and revengeful. It was as if Hermione’s disappearance had never affected her. Soon the sun started to set; Hannah stood, the nymphs backing away from her. 

“I shall go to Father Harry (Zeus),” Hannah announced to them, her golden eyes still wet from her weeping though her heart held no crack in its finish even though she just lost a daughter, “Maybe he will know who took my darling baby girl,” and, without waiting for a noise from them, she was gone. 

She raced across the land and everywhere her shadow fell, the once green plants turned to russet, decaying within. In the morning upon the Earth, the mortal farmers would be puzzled, but they knew Hannah must have been angry at them for something. In fact, it was a darker force that had taken over Hannah and controlled her.

Quickly, Hannah came to the entrance to Mt. Hogwarts and the gates burst open, for the Seasons, which guarded their palace, saw something was wrong and hid behind trees and bushes. Their soft winds rusted the branches as they watched carefully from their barriers. 

Hannah was a goddess on a mission and all who saw her got out of her road as she ran up to the top of Mt. Hogwarts. Bursting through the golden door, she entered the Throne Room several of her fellow immortals were lounging. She wondered if Harry (Zeus) called a meeting. She must have been so sad that she did not hear his call. 

“Father Harry,” she kneeled before on him on the marble floors placing a hand on his knee.

The king of the gods looked down at his sister, sensing something was terribly wrong and he had an idea why that was so, “What is it, my dear sister?”

Hannah refused to look up at Harry’s green eyes, “My daughter, Hermione, has been taken, my king,” Ginny (Hera) glared at Hannah, her jealousy of the old crone became larger with every ticking moment for the goddess had interrupted an important meeting in which, Ginny had brought up marriage vows: wives and their husbands and being loyal. Now, Ginny felt like a minor goddess, a background to everyone else and she was tired of it.

“Taken?” Harry showed his worry well on the outside, but he was smirking.

Hannah nodded, “Yes, my king. By who, I do not know. I only wished to report this and ask for you to do something. Please,” the harvest goddess begged, “ _Please_ do something. Anything.”

Harry chuckled for he _had_ to tell the truth. The game was fun while it lasted, but it was time to be serious, “Oh, my dear sister, I know what happened to Hermione.”

Hannah snapped her head up at her brother, her eyes were an unusual color and they stared at Harry with such intensity, “You knew?”

Harry smiled, thinking nothing of her strange eyes, for he was too interested in how Hannah was going to react to the truth, “Our dear brother, Draco (Hades), asked for Hermione. You know how much he has been chasing her,” Hannah’s anger sparked. Harry continued, nonetheless, “Draco asked from me if he could take her to the Underworld to make her his wife and Queen,” Harry glanced at his wife beside him, “I said yes, for I know what it is like, including Neville (Poseidon), to not have a Queen by your side,” Ginny was gob-smacked at what her husband had said for she couldn’t remember when her husband was ever so romantic. Cho (Aphrodite) must have influenced him, she thought and she scowled mentally. Her feelings were leading her down paths she should have never taken in the first place. _Why did I ever marry him_?

“How could you?” Hannah (Demeter) shrieked at him, her voice sounding like a siren. 

Harry’s smiled disappeared; maybe this wasn’t as funny as it was supposed to be, “I only did what was right, sister of mine. Understand-,” but Hannah would not.

“HOW COULD _YOU_!” she shrieked again and she stood up from her spot on the floor, “I will never see her again!” anger flower through her like a raging lion and revenge was in her grasp, “For this, I will punish you all!” she growled, slowly backing away from the group and narrowing her eyes at every single one of the immortals around her. Harry stared at her in confusion for his sister would never have threatened to get her way in things, “You will have one week to return her back to me, or I _shall_ plunge the mortal earth below into an eternal drought! Hear me now, my fellow immortals; _nothing_ can break this save for the safe return of my daughter.” 

With that, Hannah disappeared. Her body seem to be pulled into a swirling vortex that would have left behind a puff of flowers, daisies specifically, but this time they were roses, black like the deepest pits of Tartarus. 

Every single god and goddess within the room watched as the last black rose petal floated downward, joining the others that fallen to the floor. It was completely silent. Then the whole Hall exploded in voice.

ͼͽͼͽ ͼͽͼͽ ͼͽͼͽ ͼͽͼͽ

The chlamys was pretty in an old fashioned sense and was definitely not something that Hermione would wear. It was pure white, but the bottom fabric was still from years, if not centuries, that it was not worn. Covering the white fabric was a thin piece of cloth that caused it to shimmer.Hermione noticed that it had no sleeves and a gold cord wrapped around and under her breast. Once she placed it on her body and looked at herself within the mirror, she decided she definitely did not like it and the way she felt like she was being strangled by the golden cord.

“Chlamys sure looks pretty on you, my lady,” Lavender commented as she walked around Hermione. 

Hermione just frowned, “I look like my Aunt Ginny on her rare good days,” she glanced behind her at her servant.

Lavender laughed.

Hermione’s frown flipped and she smiled, turning to look into the mirror, “This whole Underworld thing is so new to me still and, forgive me if I am intruding, but how did you die?”

Hermione watched in their reflection as the happiness seem to drain out of her, “I-I-I’d rather not talk about it, my lady. I-I’m still no-not comfortable talking about it,” Lavender replied as she combed through Hermione’s hair, placing small white flowers with black centers within her lush, brown curls, “Maybe, if you allow me to stay as your servant that is, I will tell you my story, but…,” Lavender paused as if she was going to say something and Hermione looked at her with sorrow and regret. Whatever happened to her, Hermione knew that it would take time, “I can’t. I’m so sorry, my lady.”

Hermione simply smiled, “I’m sorry, Lavender, for what you went through and I am sorry that I asked. I was invading your life and I shouldn’t have. On a brighter note,” Hermione’s smile grew wider, “I would love to have you as my servant. You’re about the only sane soul in this rotting place.”

Lavender smiled at the compliment, “Thank you, my lady. Though, you should know, it is not so bad here, _once_ you get used to it.”

Hermione turned around to look back at Lavender once again, “When will I, though?”

There was a sudden knock which interrupted their conversation and, without waiting for her reply, it opened. From the depths of the palace beyond the door, a ghostly figure appeared. He was blonde and lanky with piercing eyes. He wore heavy metal armor that Hermione recognized from the First Wizarding War so many centuries ago, but his arm was missing. Where the limb should have been, there was nothing and the armor just ended in space. Hermione watched as he gave a smile to Lavender before turning to her.

“My lady,” he bowed to her slowly, “His Majesty wanted you to know that your union with His Majesty is canceled until further notice,” At first, Hermione was puzzled at the king of the dead’s sudden change of thought, but she didn’t dwell on that thought for very long. Smiling brightly, the servant continued to speak, “Lord Draco (Hades) wanted you to know, also, that you may explore the palace, but _do not_ go outside the palace walls,” he bowed again, giving a glance to Lavender, before leaving and closing the door behind him. 

Hermione looked at Lavender and squealed, “Yes!”

Lavender smiled slightly, she was actually looking forward to the union of the two immortals. Deep within her, she found that they were perfect for each other. Hermione would have balanced Draco’s negatives and Draco would have balanced Hermione’s negatives. An added bonus was that they would be a very attractive and powerful couple and Lavender knew that there was nowhere on Earth, the Heavens, or in the Underworld that someone could hide if they dared crossed Hermione and/or Draco. _If only they had more time together_ , Lavender thought, _and then maybe they would have realized that_.

“Would you like to get out of this chlamys and I can show you around, my lady?” she asked carefully. 

Hermione squealed again, “Yes!” she was practically bursting at the seams with happiness. 

Lavender just chuckled at her actions and floated to one of the chests around the room to get something for Hermione to wear.


	5. Chapter Three

           Draco (Hades) growled at the stormy grey owl before him, its large, yellow eyes bulging from its small head. _Wretched bird_ , he thought, _Idiotic brother, ruining everything._ He looked down at the fresh crispy parchment in his hand again:

_ To my dear brother, _

_ I am sorry to inform you but you will need to release our sister’s daughter, Hermione, as soon as possible. Hannah has threatened to send a plague upon the earth for all eternity. Her curse has begun and the mortal farmers are beginning to notice the death surrounding them. I have tried hard to convince Hannah to let Hermione stay there, but she will not listen. Please send your response back to me and I will send Dean (Hermes) down to fetch the girl. _

- _ Harry (Zeus) _

_How could his brother do this to him_ , he thought.

Anger flooding his veins like his own ichor blood, he turned around, quickly, kicking the large vase filled with black roses. He was originally going to give them to Hermione to use as her virginal crown at their union, but, clearly, that was not going to happen anytime soon. Draco’s grey eyes stared at the large vase which was shattered, the water and the rose pooling beneath the broken pieces. 

Abruptly, Draco reeled on the owl sending fear through its veins again, its little heart beating so quickly.

“I know you can hear, you _pathetic_ bird,” he growled at it, the owl’s golden eyes shifted uneasily as the lord of the dead spoke, “Go back to my dear _dear dear_ brother and tell him I shall do what he commands,” and the owl rushed off before Draco decided to pluck it and eat it for dinner, or even worse, give the bird to the Witch of the Underworld, Hecate.

Draco growled again and kicked the nearest chair sending it flying into the wall, the wood splintering on impact, “ _Antonius_!” he roared, his ebony teeth bared like a beast.

The ghostly figure of his servant materialized in front of him. Antonius was a handsome, blonde haired soldier who had died in Troy during the First Greatest Wizarding War and unfortunately lost his arm during it. Though he had a hard time with one arm, Lavender would help and Draco could even tell that something was forming between them other than friendship, “You called, my lord?” The dead, young man was always so calm and Draco was envious of the young soldier’s ability.

“Yes,” Draco snapped at him, “Please go to Lady Hermione’s room and tell her our union has been canceled. She may explore around the palace if she would like, _but_ warn her not to leave it. The lost souls around the palace are not gentle.”

“Yes, my lord,” and Antonius was gone in swirl of yellow.

Draco growled again and collapsed onto his throne, limbs thrown across the piece of furniture like old clothes. The dark metal was cold beneath his touch and it was the only welcoming companion he wanted right now. Cold suited him, like the darkness. He basked in the night.

Glancing beside him, his gaze found a similar throne to his own except this one had metal roses growing along the edges and was only slightly smaller. A crown lay on the crimson stained velvet seat and, reaching over, he picked it up. It was also covered in dark metal roses, which crawled around in each other, and from beneath the soft looking petals, spikes protruded. It was to be Hermione’s when she became his queen, a symbol of the balance between death and life, but it held a darker secret. Her crown held the ability to protect her when he would not be able to and he knew that one day it could save her life. The crown was an early wedding gift from the Fates and he was, forever, thankful to them for it. 

Suddenly, he could feel something wet fall over his high cheekbones from his eyes. He raised a hand to touch them and pulled it away. There on the tips of his fingers was a dome of water and he continued to study it as more poured down his face. Within its watery grasp, his breathing grew irregular and he brought the crown to his face. Salt water trickled down onto the crown and pooled in the areas where the petals dipped. Then he screamed, mostly in rage, and threw the crown down on the ground. The clang echoed across the dark throne room.

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Once Lavender had pulled Hermione (Persephone) out of her chlamys into a simple robe that she had found, they walked down the halls with Lavender leading the way. They were tall like Mt. Hogwarts, but the stone was the same as the bedroom. The stone glistened and shined beneath Hermione’s feet like raven’s feathers. 

“How long have you been here, Lavender?” Hermione asked, her arms folding inside the huge sleeves of her robe.

“Umm,” Lavender thought about it for a moment, “You know, I can’t quite remember. I want to say twenty five years.”

“Twenty five?” Hermione practically screeched, “That’s an awfully long time.”

“Time flies by when you’re dead,” Lavender simply said and stopped at a large ornate door, “And this here is the library.”

“The library,” Hermione repeated with a smile and stepped forward. Her fingertips traced lightly the path of the engraved gold on the door. It was simple, yet elegant, design with only a large tree and bending vines, “I am surprised that he has a library.”

“His Majesty likes to read,” Lavender said and Hermione’s smile faded, her fingertips dropping from the door. 

“Great,” she murmured, “We have something in common.”

“My lady,” Lavender said and bowed slightly, “If I may say something as a friend instead of a servant.”

Hermione turned to her, nodding with a smile, “Of course,” they had come to an understanding when Lavender was getting her undressed and, now, seemed to comprehend each other better than anyone.

“I think you have more in common than you realize,” Lavender vocalized, “For, as long as I have known His Majesty and as much I have learned from you today, you have a lot in common.”

“I highly doubt it,” Hermione turned around and placed a hand on the cold handle, “Why is everything in this place so cold?”

“His Majesty prefers the cold,” Lavender responded before continuing on with her previous topic, “I guess that is where you two are different. After all, Harry (Zeus) didn’t make all mortals and immortals the same.”

Hermione chuckled slightly, “So true. May I go in?”

Lavender smiled, “Of course, my lady. You don’t need to ask.”

Hermione turned the handle and the door swung open slowly, its hinges squeaking, “When’s the last time he has been in here?”

“Not for a while,” Lavender said as she peaked into the room for she had never been in it before, “He’s been busy trying to place a plan together for something he would not tell anyone, but… I assume that plan must have been you.”

Hermione nodded, trying to ignore Lavender’s out-spoken thoughts as she stepped into the library, Lavender joining behind her. Hermione raised her hand, “ _Lumos_ ,” and a soft glow erupted in the room from her fingertips, the light pushing the darkness back into the corners of the room.

She gasped. 

Book upon books were stacked through the room. Ladders, a dull mahogany, drooped on their tracks as if they were hanging from the side of a cliff. Plush, deep, emerald couches were placed around the room and each couch was paired with a dark wood table. Hermione walked over to the closest bookshelf and ran her hands over the smooth wood. She pulled her hand away when she felt a grainy paste on her fingers. A layer of dust covered them and she made a face as she wiped them on her robe.

“Well, this place sure needs a cleaning,” she murmured.

“Oh my,” Lavender suddenly said.

Hermione turned to look at her and saw the ghostly female was staring up at the ceiling. Hermione followed her gaze. 

“How-How-How-,” Hermione stumbled over her words, her mouth bobbing like a fish. 

Above their heads, the ceiling was pushed upward into a dome. The plaster was covered in a mixture of blues, purples, and black’s and, twinkling beneath the dark canvas, were thousands of bright dots, sparking like diamonds. It was a perfect representation of the night sky, flickering and moving as if she were standing outside on Mt. Hogwarts, and Hermione, as she stared at the stars, could see the dots forming pictures. Several of them, she recognized. For example, there was Hercules, balancing along the tip of the bookshelf on the far side of the room. Orion and Pegasus were gliding across the paint above the goddess’ and the servants heads. In the middle of the dome, though, Hermione recognized another constellation. She felt a wave of several emotions run through her as she studied it. _Of course,_ he _would have that constellation dangling above them all_ , she thought. It was the constellation of Draco, the mighty dragon that was slayed by Hercules.

“I can’t believe this is here,” Lavender commented, “I’m absolutely curious as to how His Majesty created this,” she continued.

“It’s simple, really,” a sudden, male voice echoed behind them and both girls jumped as they head it.

“Your majesty!” Lavender cried as she sunk into a bow.

Draco (Hades), though, was not looking at her, but at the goddess of spring time beside her, “I’m sure you’re curious, too, Hermione,” the goddess simply stared at him, hard and long. Draco chuckled, “It’s an old spell. I found it whilst I was flipping through these old books,” he motioned toward them and began to walk toward Hermione, “Do _you_ know the spell?”

“I have no idea.”

“ _Ríchnoume to nychterinó ouranó páno apó to anótato ório kai na tis paréchei tin anása tis zoís_ ,” he chanted the words and as the words flowed across Hermione’s immortal skin, she couldn’t help but shiver and close her eyes, “Do you know what it means?” his voice was much closer now and Hermione’s brown eyes snapped open, connecting with his silver, “Pour the night sky onto the ceiling and provide it with the breath of life.”

Lavender stared at the two immortals, feeling the tension between the two grow and she smiled. Maybe they were already falling in love.

“But,” Draco broke the spell and Hermione’s eyes fluttered between him and Lavender, “Then again, you wouldn’t know what _that_ could possibly mean,” and he moved away from her. 

Hermione mentally cursed at herself for letting him get to her. She promised herself that she wouldn’t, “What are you doing here, Lord Draco?” and she turned around as she said his name.

He smirked, “I live here, Lady Hermione, or did you not notice?” she wanted to slap it off his face and maybe spit on it for good measure, “With an impeccable brain like yours, I must say I am surprised beyond measure at your lack of intelligence.”

She scowled at him and a low growl escaped her lips, “I know that, you idiot!”

Draco ignored her foul language and turned to Lavender, “Will you please leave us?”

Hermione watched as Lavender simply nodded, bowing low to him, and leaving her alone in the dusty old library with the King of the Underworld. When the doors were shut behind Lavender, Hermione spun on the balls of her feet away from Draco, her eyes racing across the bookshelves hoping to ignore him, but Draco was already talking.

“It has been some time since I was last in here,” he mused as he walked along the wall of books, “I am surprised that you decided to come into this room,” his stormy grey eyes glanced at her, “I figured you would likely stay in your room or have some fun with Lavender in the privy.”

“I do not spend my time prettying myself up and, if I did, it would not be for you,” Hermione snapped at him and folded her arms across her chest causing her breast to appear bigger which was noticed by the god in the room.

“Who said anything about you getting pretty for me?” Draco teased and Hermione turned to him, catching his smirk as he turned back to the bookshelves. He ran a single finger over one of the spines.

_Wish it was my spine_ , she thought and her eyes widened. Where did she get that thought from?

“I use to come here when I was still a young god,” he continued to muse, “Even during the war with my father, Tom (Cronus), I would come here. Got most of my ideas on battle strategies from these books and was mainly the reason why we won,” he pulled one with a thick red spine, “This one was my favorite to read when I needed a change from the truth,” he looked up at her and tossed it.

She caught it with ease and looked at the title, “ _The Tales of Beadle and the Bard_?”

Draco smiled, “Have you ever heard of it?”

She shook her head, “Not that I can recall.”

Draco chuckled, “Well if we ever meet again and for a long period of time, I will read it to you.”

She looked up at him with wide eyes, “What do you mean by _if_ we meet again?”

Draco sighed and ran a pale hand through his white blonde hair causing it to stick up in some places, “Hermione, you are free to return back to Mt. Hogwarts, if you wish,” she smiled at his confession, “Dean (Hermes) will arrive shortly and take you back to your mother.”

She walked up to him, “Are you serious?”

Draco looked into her deep, hopeful chocolate brown eyes. He memorized how they looked, knowing he may never see her again, “If you wish.”

Then she did something that shocked them both, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, “Oh, thank you!”

Hermione froze in his arms, but continued to hang from his neck. Recovering from the shock, Draco smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He so wished to not let her go and to have her stay in his arms forever, but nothing ever lasted that long especially when he wanted it so much. They let go of each other, “Well, we have some time before Dead (Hermes) arrives. I can show you the garden, if you so wanted to?”

“A garden?” her eyes sparkled with curiosity, “I didn’t know anything could grow down in this gloomy place.”

“The Underworld has more life in it then you probably realize.”

She placed the red book on one of the tables and looked back at Draco who stood, waiting for her, at the door. She walked toward him and, together, they strolled through the halls of his palace. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him carefully. There was something with this god, something that both confused and shook her to her very core. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she would figure it out. She always did like a challenge. 


	6. Chapter Four

           Draco could see her watching him, closely, from the corner of his eye. Part of him was curious at her observation of himself while the other part wanted to crawl away. He was never used to this much attention, having lived in the Underworld for most of his immortal life thus far. Draco couldn’t deny, though, that he was enjoying the attention he was getting from the goddess of spring. If this was the only attention he would ever receive from her in his lifetime, then he would bask in it for however long she would give it to him.

           Suddenly, he held his arm out to her. Hermione stared at the limb as if it was some exotic Ethiopian and then back up to the god’s eyes.

            At this, Draco commented, “On Hogwarts, do the gods not do this to escort this young goddess before me?”

            She shook her head, “Mother does not even like it when gods talk to me much less touch me.”

            Draco laughed, “That sounds about like my dear sister,” he said.

            He slowly reached out for her hand, dangling by her side. She quickly hid it behind her back, her eyes glancing at him with confusion. He gave a small smile, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

            “I don’t trust you,” she murmured.

            “Maybe you should start to.”

            And he slowly reached for the hand, hidden behind her back. His warm breath tickled her neck and her bare shoulders and she gave a shaky sigh. Hermione could feel her skin crawl, but her mind only thought it was out of revulsion.

            His cold hand grasped hers and Draco, experimentally, ran his thumb over the skin. He was amazed by how soft and warm they were.

            “Are you always this cold?” she asked, her voice slightly shaking.

            “Yes,” he smiled and took her hand and placed it inside his arm.

            “Why?”

            “I don’t think you want to know,” and he gently began to pull her down the hallway, her body brushing up against his own.

            “Tell me,” her voice was strong and powerful.

            Draco gave into its power and spoke, “I-I don’t really know love, I’ve never loved nor been loved,” he confessed.

            “So you would have been forcing me into a loveless binding ceremony?” she spat out and Draco could feel the hateful fire spilling from her eyes toward him.

            He gave a sigh and slightly nodded, “Yes, but, I believe we would have learned to love each other,” and he quickly added, “Eventually.”  

            “How long would eventually be?” she mused as her eyes connected with his for only a moment.

            He surprised her by actually answering her, “Maybe sooner than you would have thought,” he responded, “From what I can tell, we are very similar.”

            She giggled lightly and it was like music to his ears, but it was sarcasm that dripped from mouth like poison, “Very similar? I highly doubt it.”

 _She definitely is a rose_ , he thought, _thorns and all_ , and that was exactly what he wanted in a queen and wife and maybe even a lover. He smiled at that thought, but it quickly faded with what she spoke next.

            “One, I don’t abducted people. Two, I don’t force them into a marriage,” and that shut him up.

 _Point one for me_ , she thought.

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            The gardens, if one could even call it that, were beautiful and, as Hermione looked out at the growing life, Hermione found that the garden was hardly even a garden. The layout was extreme, for even her mother’s own standards. Exotic flowers and trees bloomed everywhere and it reminded the goddess of springtime of the glorious pictures she had seen in books about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. At this, Hermione found the perfect word to describe this overflowing plot of life: oasis.

            “Do you like it?” Draco asked with a smile on his face as he studied her within the archway entrance of his palace.

            The setting sun, behind her, made her seem like a true goddess, even more beautiful than Cho (Aphrodite) herself. Hermione’s hair seemed alive in the glowing light and Draco studied the streaks of gold raging through it the river Styx. As she looked out at the oasis before her, Draco took the chance to capture her eyes. They were brown, sparkling with light and life. He mentally painted a picture of her in his mind and promised himself that he would try to always remember her this way.

            She turned to look at him, a bright smile on her face. He couldn’t remember when she ever looked at him this way, “Do I _like_ it?” she responded and then began to laugh, her voice like thousands of golden harps letting loose their heavenly voices, “I absolutely love it,” and once she was done giggling, she commented, “Between you and me, I think your garden is so much better than my mothers.”

            Draco cracked a smile, the setting sun warming his ebony teeth into a creamy color and Hermione found that he looked a lot nicer and handsomer in the light.

            “Well come on,” his arm shifted and he grasped her hand, pulling her toward the oasis.

            She rolled her eyes at their childlike behavior as they ran along the path. She giggled and he laughed and it seemed they had both forgotten that their short time together would be over and that Hermione was kidnapped by him. Something drew them together and made them forget their feelings for one another in that bedroom somewhere in the palace. All Hermione could think about as she watched Draco pull her through the oasis was, _maybe the King of the Underworld was not as bad as some of her other family members believed_.

            And then she realized what she had just thought.

            She pulled her hand from his and came to a stop, her chest heaving as she took in as much air as she could. Her brown eyes observed the area she had stopped. Large willow trees blew in a gentle wind above her and a small pond stood still just beyond the path. A long the way, several flowers were in bloom and she reached out and cupped one of the large orange and blue flower buds. She recognized it immediately as _Bird-of-Paradise_ and it sent a gentle smile to her face.

            What she couldn’t see was the longing look that Draco was sending her. He was confused when she pulled away from him and came to a stop. Did he do or say something to make her act this way? King Harry above, he hoped he didn’t.

            Hermione felt hatred begin to flow though her veins, but it wasn’t at Draco. It was at herself for she hated the way she was acting around him now. _I think I was flirting_ , she thought and quickly added, _if anything that Cho_ (Aphrodite) _had taught her, in those days when she was becoming interested in boys, was correct that is_.

            Suddenly, she felt a cold hand upon her warm shoulder. She had to mentally pause and close her eyes to stop herself from shivering and making a single noise at his touch, “Did I say something to offend you?”

            She turned around and smiled warmly up at him, “Of course not,” she reassured him and quickly came up with a lie for her reasoning. He didn’t need to know the feelings she felt race through her mind, “Just seeing all of this makes me miss the world I was taken from,” and, as if someone had sparked a fire in her, she felt sadness rush to the surface of her mind.

            She turned around, a small gasp leaving her mouth, and tears rushed down her cheek bones. She quickly wiped them away before Draco could see it, but he did and it hurt him.

            “I’m sorry,” he murmured so softly.

            “For what, my lord?” she asked between her tears.

            “Call me Draco,” he responded before answering her question, “And I’m sorry for taking you, for making you my Queen, for forcing you to do _anything_ ,” she turned around to look at him. His eyes were so full of emotion that Hermione knew he was not lying, “I am just so _tired_ of being alone down here in this gods forsaken pit of hell,” he spat the words so angrily, “Spending a good million years by yourself does that to a god,” he continued and with each word, Hermione felt her thoughts of him crumble and a new form took its place. She felt so ashamed for the opinions she had placed there before and she turned around to look back at the plant.

            “I was just so desperate to be loved and I was so jealous of my family of their love and what they had done to me,” his voice grew louder as he moved closer to her, “So, I took the one thing that everyone loved,” his hand rose and he slowly trailed an invisible path of fire down the underside of her arm, stroking the soft skin there, “I took you,” his eyes glanced up to her head, watching for her reaction.

            She sighed, her breathing breaking, and she closed her eyes, “I understand, Draco.”

            His hand was then gone and she opened her eyes. They were dark with emotions that she couldn’t quite understand. She quickly blinked and the darkness disappeared, “Do you really? Cause not even my own friends, here in the palace, understand?”

            She turned around, her eyes a blaze with fire, forgotten were the feelings she felt before, “You mean your _servants_?”

            She had pushed an open wound for Draco’s silver eyes, suddenly, exploded with flames and he raised his hand as if to strike her. Hermione shrunk back away from him in fear, falling to the ground, her eyes as wide as the ball of fire that Helios controlled.

            Realizing what he was about to do, Draco gasped, the flames disappearing from his eyes and being replaced by wide irises. He stepped away from the goddess before him, his hand, which was raised, fell to his face. Hermione watched, still curled up in a ball like a cat, as tears poured down Draco’s high cheek bones. He then, abruptly, fell to the ground and Hermione too started to cry.

            _So this is who my capture really is_ , she could only think that, _and I was acting like such a foolish nymph that I even believed that he was different from what my family had said about him._

But Draco was thinking such darker thoughts, _what have I done?_ What have I done? _I took this goddess before me, someone so loved and someone so care free. I showed her a part of me that I didn’t know I had and now look what I’ve done. I am becoming my father. I should be punished like him, mauled and tortured and left to the waves of time and Tartarus._

They stayed there, sitting on the ground, for only a few moments before Hermione made the first move. Hermione was always such a bold goddess. She crawled forward slowly toward the broken god before her and reached out to touch his face. When she did, she felt cold skin beneath her fingertips like carved marble and she felt the urge to want to discover every inch of it. But, she couldn’t and Draco scampered away.

            “Don’t!” Draco barked, “Don’t touch me!” his voice became more emotional, “ _I’m a monster_.”

            “No, you’re not, Draco,” Hermione said as she crawled to face him, gently reaching out to cup his wet cheek, “You are not a monster.”

            “But I am,” Draco cried to her, his misty, storm cloud eyes connecting with hers and she felt pity for the lord of the dead, “I _am_ a monster. I’m becoming my father.”

            Hermione just smiled at the god and gently stroked his cheek, “I’ll tell you something, Draco, that a dear friend of mine told me,” she said to him as she scooted closer till they were only a few inches apart, “The world is not split into good people and bad people. We all have a bit of each in ourselves. It’s the part we decide to act on that define us and you are not a bad god, Draco. You are a good god who is lost and broken, almost an orphan,” she brought her face close to his, her warm breath a gentle spring breeze upon his skin, “And, you know what? I can wrap King Harry around my little finger and I will force him to invite you every time he has one of his silly parties, alright?” she asked. Her promise though would be empty.

            Draco just raised his hand to her own cheek and she leaned into it, “I’m _so_ sorry, Hermione.”

            “I know.”

They basked in the feeling of having each other so close together and neither wanted to admit that they were beginning to feel something rise up within their minds and bodies. It felt unnatural and maybe that was because gods had no idea what love felt like.

            They were interrupted, though, by Draco’s servant, “Your majesty?” she heard a male call out and she quickly got up off the dirt ground and was followed closely by Draco.

            Draco quickly brushed off his cloak, “Yes, Antonius?” he sniffled and ran his cloak clad hand over his eyes and cheeks, riding himself of tears.

            A ghostly blonde solider appeared in front of the two immortals, “You have a visitor, my lord.”

            Draco nodded, “Thank you,” and he had a feeling that he knew exactly who it was, “I’ll be right back,” he smiled at Hermione, “You are welcome to continue exploring the garden,” she smiled back at him in thanks and Draco followed Antonius back inside the palace.

            Hermione, meanwhile, looked up at the thin, green leaves of the willows above her. A sharp twist of pain in her stomach caused her to sigh, but she tried to ignore it as she stepped from the path and into the warm soil of the gardens. Looking around her, she saw that no one was around and disappeared into the brush.


	7. Part Two

“The awful immortality of life!  
The white path winding deathlessly to death!  
Why didst thou call the rain from out her caves  
To draw a dying earth back to the day?  
Why fatten flocks for our dark feast, who sit  
Beside the gate, and know where the path ends?  
O pitiless gods -- that I am one of you!”

- _Pomegranate Seed_ by Edith Wharton


	8. Chapter Five

            As Draco entered his throne room, his smile faded. There, lounging on _his_ throne was a dark skinned man with equally dark, but mischievous, eyes. He had a smirk plastered on his face as he looked at the pale man walking toward him from the threshold of the room.

            “My dear, dear, _dear_ Uncle, how has hell been treating you?” the dark skinned man smiled with blinding white teeth. In his hands he twirled the rose crown on his fingers.

            Draco chuckled; _two could play at this game_. He never really liked the god for Draco found him too hard and selfish when it came to others. He did not particularly like how easily he took orders either, “Fairer than I see being the messenger to the All Almighty Harry (Zeus) has been.”

            Dean (Hermes) laughed as he got up off the throne. The immortal messenger placed the rose crown on his head and rose his chin up in the air. Turning in different directions, he asked, “What do you think?” But, Draco did not respond save for the hard glare and Dean sighed, placing the crown back in its place on the throne, “Hannah (Demeter) has become angry at the gods and goddesses on Mt. Hogwarts.”

            “Not my problem,” Draco fired back.

            “It is your problem, Draco,” Dean replied, “A lot of things have happened since you last came out of your hole,” he motioned around them, “Still haven’t remodeled I see.”

            “I have no need,” Draco said.

            “You hold the solution to the problem, Draco,” Dean said, “Harry wants me to return her to her mother.”

            “So, Harry sent you for her?”

            “Of course,” Dean bowed slightly, “Who else would he entrust with such _delicate_ cargo?”

            “I would not,” Draco growled at Dean’s sarcasm, the rumble was dangerously low in the King of the Underworld’s chest.

            Dean simply glared at him, “Where is she, _Lord_ Draco?”

            Draco’s anger turned into humor, he loved playing games and Dean was _so_ easy, “Right where I left her, _purr_ ing in absolute pleasure,” he pulled Dean’s strings so tight, Draco practically basked in the anger that Dean exported from his skin.

            “Do you know what you have _done_?”

            Draco just shook his head in a sarcastic manner, “What is that I have done, winged god?”

            “Hannah wants to keep Hermione’s virginity intact, you _kuna_ (bitch); she’s more valuable that way,” Draco simply ignored Dean and his rude comment. He knew all of this, he just enjoyed pressing every open wound that Dean showed to him, “If she finds out you took it…,” Dean sighed, closing his eyes and controlling his breathing, “Hannah has placed a plague upon the land, people are starting to die. I thought you hated your job, Draco. Wouldn’t it be best if you let Hermione go back to her mother and end this onset of death?”

            Draco chuckled, “Why would I do that? I have a beautiful creature up in my bed,” a complete lie, but he could not help imaging what Hermione would have looked like in his bed. _A goddess,_ his thoughts answered for him, _she would have been the true meaning of the word,_ “My land is once again full, and my dear servants and friends have something to do for a change.”

            Dean growled and stepped toward the older god till they were mere inches apart, “Harry has commanded, and so do I, for you to hand her over to me, Lord Draco.”

            “By all means,” Draco leaned in and growled, his silver eyes flashing with pure fire, “ _Command_ me around, _pitiful_ god of _thieves_. Tell me, are you going to take her before giving her back to Hannah? Cause I did not force myself upon Lady Hermione. I’m too much of a god with ethics to do so, unlike you, you _methusai_ (old woman).”

            With that insult, Dean lashed out at the god, but Draco caught the dark skinned fist that came hurling towards him, “You will not do that, Dean,” Draco taunted the still young god and dropped the first.

            “Give her to me, _now_ ,” Dean growled very low, but it held no power, “I don’t exactly trust you, now, since you lied to me about her virginity.”

            “What’s the magic word?” Draco smiled sweetly and, when Dean did not respond, Draco taunted further, “Did your mommy not teach you any manners?” he burst out into laughter, head thrown back, and then looked back down at the young god, “Oh right, she was too busy _gamiméno ton adelfó mou_ (fucking my brother),” Draco growled as another fist came flying toward him from Dean.

            “You will not dishonor my mother in front of me,” Dean said.

            Draco just chuckled as he turned away from the young god, “Come Dean, I’ll bring you to my dear _gatáki_ (kitten),” and Draco led the still flustered god out of his palace.

            At the realization of where they were going, Dean chuckled darkly, anger and revenge flowing freely through his veins “Wait till I tell Cho (Aphrodite), the dark and secret King of the Underworld has a few kinks.”

            Draco reeled at Dean, freezing the pair in their path, “You will not tell anything to that gossip wrench, do you hear me? Or I will make sure my dear friends, the Fates, give you a sneak peek into your future.”

            Draco watched as Dean’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he gulped, fear replacing anger and revenge in his veins for he knew Draco could do so and no god should know their future, “I won’t tell anyone.”

            Draco smiled darkly and Dean could almost imaging a pair of fangs sticking through his pale lips, “Good,” and he led them to where he had let Hermione. He did not start to worry till he circled the garden area twice.

            “Lose something, my lord?” Dean (Hermes) smirked at the god a little ahead of him when he saw the same flower sticking from the ground.

            “Not at all,” Draco smiled as he dropped down on to his knees where Hermione had stood, “Just…misplaced,” his hands lightly ran over the soft dirt beneath his touch. He stood up and smiled. _Oh, his Lioness, even with her claws and teeth, was not clever enough,_ he thought as he stepped into the bushes with a confused Dean on his tail.

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            Hermione smiled gently, her hands running over the flowers, bringing new life to them, as she continued to walk forward through the garden.  Her only thought, at the moment, was the even between her and Draco just moments before and she would not lie, she was utterly confused. Her emotions were a mesh of feelings ranging from each side of the spectrum. When he was about to hit her, she noticed that there was something different about him, something broken and wild. She had meant when she told him that he was good god, misunderstood but good, for it _was_ how she saw him. There was just something undiscovered beneath his skin and she wanted to know what it was.

            Her eyes shifted to the sky, there was barely any light, and her thought wondered how long she had been down here for. Was it simply a couple of hours, a day, or months? Was her mother even worried about her? Had anyone noticed her absence during the feast tonight for Uncle Harry? She would not be surprised if no one did not.

            She did not believe Draco when he had said that her family loved her. A lot of her fellow gods and goddesses were jealous of her and whispered hateful things behind her back. Her only real friends were Pansy (Hestia), Astoria (Artemis), and Lily (Athena).

            They had taught her everything they knew. Pansy (Hestia) educated her on the ways of the mind: how to control her emotions, how to close her mind to her enemies, and how to bend the minds of men. Astoria (Artemis) trained her how to fight, how to read the stars as a giant map in the sky, and how to hunt animals. Hermione always held respect for Astoria over everyone for she loved her friends courage especially in the face of men, who teased her to no end on the matter of her virginity. Lily (Athena), though, was her hero and taught her the ways of weaving, battle strategies, and knowledge.

            She would admit, she missed her life on Hogwarts, _but_ down here in the Underworld… it offered so much for her, _Draco_ offered her so much.

            She continued walking beneath the large tree which she noticed now bore fruit. Her mouth watered at the sight of the apples, peaches, and cherries and her stomach rumbled. She reached for an apple, but she held her hand back though and continued to walk on, racking her brains as to why she should not eat the food of the Underworld. Lily and Astoria had both hammered into her the reason, but she could not remember.

            She stopped when she saw a pomegranate. It was plump and pink with deep fuchsia highlights. Her mother never let her eat them at the large parties Harry (Zeus) held. Hannah told her that it was forbidden fruit which only desperate woman ate because it filled them with lust. Hermione was always tempted to reach out when her mother was not looking and sneak one of the forbidden pieces of fruit into the folds of her chiton.

            _Now_ , Hermione thought _, might be my only chance_.

            So she reached up and clasped a hand around the large fruit and plucked it from the tree. She sure was hungry since she was used to having very large meals and not having anything since her “abduction” had caused her to become so. She went over and sat down on a huge moss covered boulder, but she did not eat the fruit. She simply stared at it as her stomach rumbled.

              She gave a sigh and her decision was made. She broke the pomegranate in half, the plump, red seed out sticking out from the poisonous, yellow skin. She dug one seed out from its venomous cage and placed the red seed on her tongue. She chewed carefully on it; her taste buds exploding in a delicious combination of sweetness and desire.

 


	9. Chapter Six

Draco could feel something shift inside him, like an added piece of the puzzle and he could suddenly see a clearer picture. In response, he sprinted off in a random direction, following the feeling in his mind.

Dean (Hermes) noticed this, dark eyes crinkled in confusion. He ran after the older god, but soon Draco’s dark clock was out of his sight. Dean came to a halt, cocking his head to different sides listening for the sound of running. All was quiet and he took a careful step forward in a direction he chose, hoping he would come across the god of the dead or the goddess of spring time. He much preferred that it was Hermione whom he found. 

Draco ran, the branches from the willows above him slithering along his face, angry and light golden welts appearing on his face. They would be gone in a short him as his healing process caught up with his pace. _Hermione_ , he sighed, _where was she?_

He burst through a patch of bushes and found himself in the orchard _._ The trees were of various sizes and fruits and others were just blooming, others lay dormant, and others were bursting with fruit. His grey eyes ran over the forbidden fruit of the Underworld, where one bite would force the devourer to stay in his humble abode. As he continued on his path through the figs, apples, and other various fruits from places he had never been or seen. At last, he entered the section for pomegranates and he felt his heart pump with worry, but he felt complete.

_ Oh my gods _ , he thought, _is she here?_

Of course, he would be thrilled if she was there and had eaten the fruit for her fate would be sealed. Draco would not have to listen to his brother’s order because Harry’s power had held no dominance when it came to the Underworld. His home had rules and magic to it that Draco, himself, did not even understand. But, there was a part of him that feared that she had eaten the fruit. It was the part of him that was speaking words of endearment and he did not want anything to do with it. The heart and love were materials for mortals!

Draco’s silver eyes found a brunette female seated upon a large, dark rock. In her hands was a large, purplish-pink fruit, the poisonous, yellow skins peaking around the seeds like a snake beneath the foliage. His breathing intensified into arousal as he stared at her. The Underworld was working its magic on her already. Her skin was pale like his and her eyes sparkling with the power of a queen that no simply Maiden of the Harvest could ever have. And then there was the way that her pink tongue came out of her mouth to lick the crimson juice trickling down her chin. His desire to rush to her and take from her lips a kiss and overpower the pomegranate taste in her mouth was proving to be quite difficult. 

Sighing, his eyes falling shut for a moment, all he could think was that he had a Queen. He had a Queen! He could hardly believe it. He gained control of his emotions quickly and he smirked and walked toward the maiden goddess.

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She had placed the fifth seed on her tongue when she heard his voice, clear like a cold winter night in the North. 

“There you are.” 

She chewed the seed as she looked up at him through hooded eyelashes. He looked absolutely delicious beneath the light of falling sun and her mind did not even stop the rest of the dirty thoughts that appeared. _Oh Harry (Zeus),_ she thought, _the things I want you to do to me._ She moaned as her tongue swept out of her mouth to lick up the stray juices, “My mother was right,” Hermione said as she placed the sixth seed on her tongue.

“About what?” Draco (Hades) asked as he came to stand before her; the light breeze outside ruffling his black cloak slightly. Hermione was resisting the urge to pounce on him like a cat and rip that _blasted_ cloak from his body. 

“These seeds are positively sinful,” she said as she placed the seventh seed in her mouth.

“Glad you think so,” Draco smirked, “But I’m sorry to disturb you, my lady-.”

“I am not your lady,” Hermione growled up at him and there was her mother talking through her. Placing the pomegranate on her lap, she glowered at him, the fruit staining her white robe magenta. 

“I’m sorry,” Draco bowed low, his eyes raking up the pale, muscular, feminine leg that peaked out from her robe. His mind drifted to how it would wrap around his waist, bringing her closer and closer to him, “but Dean is here to bring you back to your mother.”

Hermione smiled, but it was not out of joy. It was lethal, “ _Really?_ Why should I believe you? Is this some sort of seduction art thingy,” she waved her hand about as she said the word ‘thingy.’ The way she was acting was like she was drunk and Draco could not help but smirk at her actions and words, “Tell me, Draco,” she leaned forward, allowing him to get a peek at the soft flesh, “Are you planning on taking me to your bed?”

Draco just chuckled, “No,” _Yes, please, I want you in my bed,_ he thought, “I’ve played all my tricks and I would say that even Seamus (Dionysus) would have been proud at the game I play.” 

“Well then,” Hermione stood up, the pomegranate clutched in her hand, “Lead on.” 

Suddenly, her eyes fluttered and she felt dizzy. Darkness overcame her, the pomegranate rolling out of her hand. Draco rushed forward and caught her. She felt normal in his arms. Gently, he placed a hand on her forehead and felt her breathing on his palm, soft and calm. 

Deciding that it would be best to return to the palace and find the pesky god of messengers, he reached under Hermione’s legs and her upper torso and lifted her up off the ground with him. Her head rolled against his chest near his heart and her hand tightened on his black tunic in response. He pursed his lips together and whistled loud and hard, a shrieking sound echoing across the orchard trees.

The Underworld was silent for only a moment before the ground started to shake, a loud rumble replacing his whistle. He held Hermione tighter to him as the orchard branches parted and a large black animal came through them. The creature resembled a dog with three heads, eyes glowing red. The dog looked at the King of the Dead, three heads cocked to the side in confision.

Draco smiled up at his loyal hellhound, “Hey, Fluffy (Cerberus).”

The three headed Rottweiler dog wagged its tail at the god, all three tongues hanging out its mouth and the slobber was a waterfall. Draco walked forward to the dog, “Can you carry Lady Hermione and I back to the palace?” the dog barked very loudly with all three heads.

Hermione stirred in Draco’s arms. One hand wacked the center head in the nose and Hermione giggled, “Silly doggie,” she sounded like a little girl and Draco smiled as her head rolled back against his chest, falling asleep. 

Fluffy’s center head licked her hand before looking back up at his master. Draco nodded to Fluffy who lowered himself to the ground with a loud thump. Draco whistled again very loudly as he placed Hermione up near the three headed dogs collar which was only a single strap of leather. 

As he double checked that Hermione was secured, he felt a shot of cold air brush against him. He looked down at his feet and saw his two pets, a pair of black grey hounds. Draco smiled, “Find Dean (Hermes) and bring him to the throne room,” and his two pets were off like a lightning bolt at his order. 

Draco jumped up behind Hermione, securing an arm around her. His free hand patted Fluffy’s side. The three headed dog rose off the ground and sprinted off towards the palace with the two immortals on his back. 


	10. Chapter Seven~ Part One

Hannah (Demeter) was pacing back and forth on the carved marble floor beneath her feet. Her deep red chlamys, like anemones, sweeping the floor as she wandered and her hair was a nest of lush russet brown, the exact shade of her daughters, the ends sticking out every which way. Her skin! Her bones rubbed against the flesh; she seemed to be starving herself. 

“Calm, my _adelfí_ ,” Neville (Poseidon) came up to her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. She stopped her in her tracks. He leaned into her ear, “I think if you keep on pacing the floor like that, you’re going to leave a mark and Harry (Zeus) will have a temper tantrum. You know how he likes his prizes kept in good shape.”

Hannah turned around and giggled as she faced her brother, “You are right, my _adelfós_ ,” and she glanced at the throne in the middle where Harry was sitting looking up at the sun in deep thought, “That you are.”

Neville turned to look at Harry also, “I wonder why he did it.”

“Did what?” Hannah glanced back at the Lord of the Sea. 

“Why did Draco take your daughter?” he answered, “We both have known our _adelfós_ a very long time and he has never been interested in any female. He has not even had an incident with a female, at least to my knowledge, since Pansy (Hestia) told him to forget about her.” 

Hannah smiled softly, “I’m curious as to why he took my girl too.”

“Speaking of Pansy, did you know she has been chasing after Theo (Ares)?” 

Hannah laughed, “I do. Haven’t you heard Cho’s (Aphrodite’s) gossip for you know, as well as I, Neville, that her words spread across the immortal and mortal worlds faster than her own son, Eros, and his love arrows?  
Neville nodded, “Her rage was even worse when she found out about Pansy chasing Theo.”

Neville laughed at the love quarrel between the god of war, the goddess of the hearth, and the goddess of love, “Oh that is simply perfect!” Hannah agreed.

They were silent for only a couple seconds before Neville spoke again but this time on the topic of Hannah’s daughter, “Could Draco have picked Hermione for revenge, Hannah?” she thought about this, “You know he has always been seeking revenge against us since our Father Tom’s (Cronus) death.”

“It is possible, Neville.”

The Lord of the Sea continued on, “No offense to you or Morpheus, my _adelfí_ , but Hermione would not have been my pick,” Hannah snapped her hard gaze to his eyes, “She is too much like Lily (Athena) and her knowledge of everything. Most men, both immortal and mortal, find that a disadvantage.”

“Sometimes,” Hannah informed, “I find, that being a know-it-all is better than having the looks,” and she looked back at Harry on his ‘ _O so Mighty throne’_ , “Brains can protect you from the desire of men and their twisted views of a female body. My gender, Neville,” she spoke to him directly this time, “Is not some object or toy for men to look at and have at will.”

Neville nodded in agreement, “But, Hannah, can you blame men for the way that a woman looks to them?”

Hannah nodded toward their brother Harry, “I can blame him, can I not, Neville? Harry did after all create females and males to be a certain way, but men should realize that they have a brain too and should start using it,” she glanced back at the Lord of the Sky, “And, Harry? He is the biggest man of them all. He thinks about nothing else but the things that walk on legs rather than his wife.”

Neville nodded, “Yes, I see you point, but,” and he began to laugh, “I wonder if he has ever had intercourse with anything that is not female? I only hear of his feminine ‘conquests,’ as he so proudly boasts when he is drunk.”

“Oh, he has. Carried away several youths behind Queen Ginny’s back, even a few animals,” it was in that moment that she realized that she had a small happy feeling inside of her as she made fun of her brother’s odd sexuality, though she had no problem with it. 

Neville looked at Hannah, noticing, too, this change, “I am glad to see you happy again, Hannah.”

“Yes, it certainly is nice, Neville,” she said. 

“You should come down to my palace someday. I know Luna misses you a lot and Hermione also,” Neville offered, “She would have been here but you know how she is, duty before family,” Neville softly smiled, “Oh of all the gods, I love her so.”

“Yes. Of course,” Hannah smiled, “We would love to come.”

At that moment, the sound of Dean (Hermes) flying into the throne room, a good sign, interrupted their conversation. 

“Father Harry!” Dean called out. Harry looked up, a sad smile on his face, “I have returned.”

“Did you bring her?” Harry sounded off and the way that Ginny kept glancing at him, Hannah would not be surprised if something had happened to the King of the Gods. _Maybe they finally had it with each other_ , Hannah thought and grew a smirk. Evil thoughts flowed through her head and a haze fell upon her eyes. She felt different as an unknown wicked power rushed through her veins. 

_ Everything was falling into place. _

“I did,” and Dean stepped aside. 

Behind him stood a brunette goddess who wore a white chlamys decorated along the edges in fine gold and silver. Her hair was freshly brushed and rolled down her back in chocolate waves. In her hair was a bright yellow sunflower. The goddess though, with her bright, happy, and colorful outfit, did not look like herself. The goddess of spring looked sad with her face pale and her distant brown eyes. She glanced behind her in a longing way at something off in the distance. 

Hannah gasped as tears ran down her cheeks, “Hermione,” and she ran forward.

Hermione heard her mother’s call and she forced a smile on her face as she saw her, “Hello, mother,” and they embraced. Hannah inhaled her daughter’s scent of daffodils and lilies of the valley but there was a masculine smell beneath it all, a stench of death. Hannah let go of her daughter, eyes studying her face.

“I smell him on you,” her voice was quiet and dark, “Did he _touch_ you, Hermione?”

“No, he did not,” Hermione smiled up at her mother, “In fact, he was… kind, mother.”

“ _Kind?_ ” Hannah shrieked and everyone flinched at the very loud vocal noise, “ _Kind_?” and then Hannah started to laugh, “Oh, my darling,” and brought her in for a hug, “My brother cannot be kind,” she said to her daughter as if she was still being taught by her aunts, “He is cruel and unmerciful and has no heart.”

“You clearly do not know him, mother of mine,” Hermione snapped at her mother and pulled away from her arms Hermione once associated with home. Hermione turned to look at the rest of her family, “Do you all think the same way?” everyone was silent, “Tell me!” Hermione yelled at them causing some to flinch. Blaise (Apollo) and Theo (Ares) looked at her with lust filled eyes knowing now that she had claws. They both always liked woman who looked innocent but were a raging tigress inside, “I have spent a day with him. That is more than any of you _dare_ to even think!” that comment soared home in Lily’s mind and she knew she had done wrong, “I was wrong and childish to believe in the rumor’s that were told to me about him. I resisted him due to those negative comments thinking they were true! But I was wrong…,” she paused looking at the ground.

“He was kind and handsome and intelligent,” she listed, “And, yet, he was sad,” she looked up at her family, daring them to look away from the fire burning in her eyes, a fire that the King of the Underworld had placed there, “He was _sad_ and _angry_ because _his_ family did not trust him. They thought he was a cruel and unmerciful god who had no heart,” she looked at her mother when she said that, “You were all _wrong_! You all are _wrong_ about him! I’d rather be with him now than standing before _all of you._ ”

“Enough!” Hannah was fuming beside her daughter, “You will be silent!”

“No, I will not!” Hermione growled at her mother.

“Yes, you will,” Hannah growled lowly and flicked her wrist. 

Hermione’s eyes suddenly snapped shut, her body collapsed to the ground, and her head smacked against the carved marble floor. Hannah smiled wickedly down at her daughter. The others around the throne room stared in horror and fear as they all watched golden blood flow and seep into the marble floor and the angered mother cackle like a crow.

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Beneath the earth, Draco sat on his throne of cold metal, contemplating the unfortunate departure of his should-have-been Queen. He was somber, but the sadness in his eyes was so evident. _I should have fought harder,_ he thought, _I should have not listened to Harry._

Lavender, Antonius, Fluffy, the Fates, Thanatos, and Hecate tried to cheer him up. Lavender and Antonius set a warm bath infused with flowers thinking it would help calm him but all it did was remind him of Her scent, the fresh smell of a new start. Fluffy tried to get him to come outside and play but all Draco could see behind his closed eyes lids was the imaginary image of Her playing with the creature, throwing a stick back and forth between them. Thanatos tried to please him by throwing the excuse of work, of judging the dead, would help him to forget, but he couldn’t move from his spot. Hecate tried to entertain him with her magic tricks of making objects disappear and producing them again from various places. She could not even turn his mouth into a smile. 

The Fates were the worse out of all the things that reminded him of Her. They did not show him anything, though, it was just the mere sight of them that set Draco into another fit of sadness. He yelled at them, wishing them away, and they did, feeling sad and confused with their friend and master. The sight of them created a dream in his mind of what They could have been. Her body draped in white for him as they promised each other to the other, her bare skin soft beneath his hard muscle as they lay in his bed of silk. Her stomach round with their first child, a powerful immortal for sure with its parents combined force. The thousands of conversations they could have with one another about various topics and the hours spent in the library reading to each other. And, as the centuries would roll by, he could see Her sitting in the garden as she planted, Her hair pulled back, small hair tendrils falling from their hold, Her age evident on her face. He could see his whole life with Her _without_ the Fates help and _he let her go_!

He sighed as he laid his head back against the red velvet of his chair. 

Suddenly, he felt something warm drop onto his face. His grey eyes popped open in alarm and he raised a finger to wipe it off his cheek. He stared down at the half sphere of liquid gold on his fingertips. He looked up and down and around to find what caused it but there was nothing. He brought the blood to his mouth and his tongue swiped out to taste it. His eyebrows furrowed together, it was golden ichor, an immortals blood.

“Hecate!” he bellowed and the whole room shook as he spoke. 

A woman came floating in from the elaborate entrance of the throne room, her long, black cloak stretched out behind her and her black hair waving as she walked to him. She had sharp proportions with pointed cheekbones and ears. Her lips were full and a crimson color and her murky, obsidian eyes were like a ceremonial knife. 

“Yes, my lord?” she bowed before him. 

“Tell me, whose blood this is?” he pointed at Hecate. 

She reached a thin, boney finger out and swiped all the blood away. Hissing like a snake, she raised her long wooden staff and, magically, a pot appeared before her, already sizzling and bubbling. She flicked the blood into the pot, slithering words falling from her lips, “ _Pes mou ton idioktíti aftoú tou aímatos_.”

In response to her mantra, the smoky liquid, spilling over the cauldron’s side, turned a light lavender color and Hecate smirked, “It’s hers.”

“Who?” Draco snapped at her. 

Hecate glanced up at him, her black gaze startling, “Your soul mate.”

Draco burst into laughter, the sound echoed off the throne room’s walls, “There is no such thing, Hecate. Harry (Zeus) made sure of that. The human mortals originally consisted of four arms and four legs and so forth. Harry was afraid of them as he usually is with things he doesn’t understand and he split them apart.”

“I know, Lord Draco,” Hecate replied, “And he banned them to forever search the world for their other half, a daunting task for petty creatures. But he split immortals souls, too. He was young when he made that choice,” her voice was distant as she told her story, “You as well, but you wouldn’t remember it.”

“You sound like you were there.”

“I was the sorceress he came too,” Hecate informed him, “He believed in that prophecy about the Titan Tom (Cronus) that two souls would destroy him. He never thought they would succeed, and he is right to some extent. But did you know, my lord, that some souls actually succeed in doing so?”

“What?” Draco chuckled awkwardly and placed a hand on the back of his neck. 

Hecate chuckled, “Oh, Lord Draco. Clearly you still have a lot to learn,” and she turned back to her pot, “This person of yours is your soul mate. She is your perfect match in every way like where you are hard, she is soft, where you are stupid, she is intelligent.”

“Oi! Stupid?” Draco shrieked. 

“Yes stupid,” Hecate looked back at him, “Now, pay attention. I could tell you who she is but I think I would much like it if you suffer under trying to look for her.”

“You are an evil goddess, Hecate,” Draco glared at her and he knew better than to try to haggle with the goddess of crossroads and witchcraft. 

Hecate laughed, her staff making small movements which caused the pot to disappear, “It comes in my contract,” she bowed, “Lord Draco,” and she was gone in a poof of dark smoke. 

Draco rolled his eyes and somehow they landed on the throne beside his. He mused helplessly, “Is it you, my Hermione?”


	11. Chapter Seven - Part Two

"Is she going to be okay, Blaise (Apollo)?" Hermione could hear the faint sound of her cousin, Lily.

"She is going to be fine," Blaise's voice was much closer to her than Lily (Athena).

"Why would her mother do this to her?" the quiet weeping of her other cousin Astoria (Artemis), was enough to crack her eyes open.

"Look, her eyes are opening," Lily said much closer than she was before, "Hermione, can you hear me?"

"Yes," her voice sounded weird and her eyebrows burrowed in confusion.

"It's okay, Hermione," she could see the dark skinned god come into her vision, "I had to force some ambrosia and nectar down your throat in order to heal your wound. So your throat will be a little rough."

"I wasn't dreaming then was I?" she said.

"No you were not," Blaise said and Hermione saw him glance between the other goddesses.

"What is it, Blaise?" she said as she slowly moved to sit up. Lily and Astoria rushed forward and helped her and she was glad since she was feeling light headed.

"You are not going to like this, Hermione," Blaise said.

"Harry has...," Astoria trailed off as she had found a sudden interest in her bare feet.

"What has Harry done, Astoria?" Hermione asked more forcefully.

"Harry has proclaimed war upon Draco," Lily said, "The cause is your kidnap."

"But he returned me," Hermione said, "And-and-and he didn't even do anything. As I have said before he-," Astoria placed a finger on her mouth, silencing her.

"We know, Hermione," Astoria smiled.

"I need to speak with Harry," Hermione said as she rose off the bed.

"Are you sure, Hermione?" Lily said, more motherly-like than her own mother at the moment.

"I am fine," she said and she turned to face her friends, "Please leave, I need to get dressed," and her friends smiled as they left.

She sighed and that was when the tears flowed down her cheeks. She fell back on her bed and she cradled her head in her hands. Why was she feeling like this? No one had ever affected her this-it felt like her heart was being torn apart. Draco...Draco...Draco...Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco. That name no longer was painful to say. She gasped and she looked up at the mirror in front of her. She was in love; was it even possible to fall in love in a day? She sighed and tried to calm herself down...she needed to talk to Harry. She stood up and walked over to the pile of cloth on the foot of her bed. She picked up the cloth and looked at it. She sighed as she saw the white fabric. Why did everything have to be white for her? Oh, that's right, she said, she was a virgin.

She pulled her chlamys off and put the new one on, pinning the two ends of the fabric with gold pins up at her shoulders. She used her fingers to pull the knots apart in her hair and then she worked thin strands of gold into her hair. She picked up the dusty black stick from off the silver box Astoria gave her and coated the line of skin above her eyelashes in deep black. She then looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She was ready. She walked out of her one roomed house that Ron (Hephaestus) had made for all of them and walked along the path that led up to the first house, Harry's. As she walked there she thought about what she was going to say to him. She knew that Harry would not agree to this without persuasion or some gift to give him, but what would she give him? She finally came to the very large one room house that belonged to her uncle.

 She could hear soft moans and grunts from inside and she suppressed a smile. She raised her hand to knock but then the golden door burst open. She covered her mouth from shock and then she started to giggle. A dirty blonde female went running out of the room with the smell of male and rain. The female wore beads in her hair and the clothing she carried was a dark green and tan color; the colors of the Wood Nymphs. Hermione walked into the room and chuckled again at all the rumpled sheets that Hermione was sure that the water nymphs and servants were going to have fun cleaning.

"Hermione," she heard Harry and she bowed low at the sound.

"Uncle," she said and looked up. Harry was lounging on his bed made of the softest feathers. He was completely naked but a thin white sheet covered most of him. One muscular and somewhat hairy leg was raised and bear to her eyes.

"What have you come to me for?" he asked.

"I have come for a favor," she said as she rose from her bow, "Please; do not rage war on your brother. He meant me no harm."

"I think not," he said and waved her off, "Now go."

"Please, Uncle!" she rushed forward to him, a pale skinny hand resting on his white sheet. She suddenly felt hot and sweaty but she tried to forget about it, "I beg of you. I will stay here and you can choose my husband for me if only you do not battle with him."

"Hmm...," Harry pretended to think, "Still, no."

Hermione sighed and she felt a tear rush down her cheek. She knew what she needed to do, "I will make a trade with you."

"I'm listening," Harry said in a way that seemed to her like he knew something.

"In exchange for no battle and for Lord Draco to be invited to every celebration that you hold," Harry's mouth dropped at that, "I will gladly give myself to you-," she breathed in, "All of me."

She watched Harry smiled, "All of you?" his eyes roamed over her face and body.

She nodded, "All of me, my body is yours."

"Deal," Harry said with a smirk on his face, "We shall have a celebration tonight, to celebrate the treaty between my kingdom and Neville's (Poseidon) with Draco's (Hades) kingdom. You," he sat up and reached out, "on the other hand, will dance for us all," his finger tip traced the edge of her jaw and she tried not to grimace, "And then later that night, you will come to me. Do you understand, my Hermione?"

She nodded, tears building up behind her eyes, "Yes."

"Good," and he laid back down, "Now, give me a kiss and you may go," Hermione walked over to his side of the bed and leaned down. Cupping his face, she closed her eyes, and gave him a quick kiss on his lips. Harry moaned, "I cannot wait till tonight, my Hermione. You may leave," and he closed his eyes.

Hermione walked out of their quicker than a new born foul and her tears raced down her cheeks falling to the ground where heleinium rose in groups of dark red. She raced to her house where she collapsed onto her bed; the pillowing drowning her cries. She was followed by the dark brunette goddess of the hunt.

"Hermione?" she heard the goddess come up next to her. Astoria sat down on her bed and rubbed soothing circles into her back, "Hermione, tell me what's wrong?"

Hermione shook her head violently, "I can't, Astoria."

Astoria just sighed and she got up but Hermione did not look to see where she was going. Astoria reached for the golden pins, Hermione flinched away which Astoria thought weird. Astoria reached again and Hermione allowed her to lower the fabric to the rise of her arse. She felt a warm cloth on her back soothing the hot fever which was racing across her body and she sighed, her tears coming slower now.

"My mother does this for me whenever something makes me upset," Astoria said as she began to rub her upper back and the other hand rested on the warm cloth on her lower back, "Feel better?"

Hermione nodded through her tears.

"Want to tell me now, Hermione?" Astoria asked.

Hermione sighed, "I guess I should start from the beginning," and she began her story.

\----------

It was during Draco's (Hades) last meal of the day that he received his second owl of the day. He picked up the familiar crisp parchment and read the note:

_My dear brother,_

_I have been "persuaded" to ask for you to come to the celebration tonight. Here, I would like to offer you a treaty of peace between you and me and Neville. Also, someone you know, has asked for you to come to any of these celebrations whenever you will like._

_I_ _hope to see you there my dear brother or war upon your land and yourself._

_-Harry_

Draco smiled when he read the part about the celebrations, "I guess you really have kept your promise, my lady," he murmured, "But I wonder who persuaded, Harry," he thought out loud, "And what with and why is the word quoted?"

Draco got up off his seat, "Antonius!" he called out to his loyal servant who appeared by his side in a puff of yellow, "Lavender!" and Hermione's servant appeared from a smoke cloud of purple.

"My lord?" they bowed to him.

"I am going to a celebration party tonight on Mt. Hogwarts," he said and he shivered at the delight of seeing Hermione again, "I need to look my best," and the two servants smiled at how happy their master looked.


	12. Part Three

"All my men are born in darkness

To feed my beast inside.

An animal to match my own,

Without a need to hide.

Demons tend to hide as angels,

Beauty beyond compare.

One taste, I couldn't get enough of

The King of Hell right there.

Taken into the Underworld

Not like the tales you read.

Hearts beat among the tangled sheets,

I, his Persephone."

-Underworld by Mac Stephenson


	13. Chapter Eight

The party hall had never look so good, was the main thought running through the minds of the immortals partying. The stone was polished so Cho (Aphrodite) could turn around whenever she would feel like to check her reflection. The olive wood tables were smooth and piled high with golden plates filled with ambrosia and golden goblets brimming with the never ending drink of nectar. Nymph's hung off each other as they drunkenly tried to hold the other up. Large bowls were filled with fire and set about the large room reflecting off the glowing eyes of the undying. Large couches were sat upon as lovers re-found and new were lying upon each other, searching for that desire of ecstasy.

One immortal stood up, his emerald green eyes were dark with that promise of pleasure, and he spoke, "Silence!" and the hall fell silent, "I would like to raise a toast to the new found peace between me and my brothers, Neville and Draco," and two other men stood up, "May we forever remain this way," he spoke to them and rose his goblet.

"Forever," the men responded with a clang of their own cups and they drank.

"Now, time for some entertainment!" and the Muses rose from the spots beside their lovers. Clio held a guitar in her hands, Euterpe held a flute, Terpsichore held the harp in between her legs; fingers poised to start playing, Erato and Melpomene and Polymnia held a lyre in their lap; their positions reflecting Terpsichore, and Thalia, Ourania, and Calliope were using their mouths to make noise as the group struck a chord.

Draco (Hades) looked up at the sudden appearance of a female in the middle of the paused partyers, dressed in a white outfit, a light pink veil held in her hand. The female's hair was a dark brown and had gold thread weaving in and out of it. Her feet were bare but pale and soft looking as she started to move across the floor. Draco felt like he knew that body somewhere but he could not see her face. Her arms moved in intricate circles, the pink veil following behind her. Draco leaned over into Harry's ear.

"Who is that goddess?" Draco asked.

Harry smiled, "I would tell you her name but she has been called for."

Draco smirked, "I assume that this person who claim's her is you, brother."

"You assume right, brother," and he turned back to playing with the top of a female servants chlamys.

Draco returned his attention back to the female who was coming towards him. Her face turned to him but the pink veil covered it so all he could make out was her pale complexion, her rosy lips, and the dark makeup around her eyes. She spun around and the veil fell down so it looked like she had wings. Her head fell back as she bent at her waist, her brown hair a waterfall as she leaned back toward Harry. Draco recognized the woman then and he smiled at her. He reached out possessively and instinctively and grabbed her arm, causing her to fall onto his lap.

"We meet again, my lady," he whispered in her ear before she was pulled from his grasp.

"I would watch what you touch, my brother," Harry growled in his ear before turning to Hermione, "Dance," he commanded and Hermione glanced at Draco, the hot fever from before raced across her skin, before she began again her tango of womanly curves and softness.

"I am sorry, brother," Draco said, "She was just a...," he paused to think of a word that his brother would believe, "Very tempting female," he lied through his teeth.

"I glad all those years in that dark world of yours has not made you blind to the female species," Harry smirked.

"I'm glad, also," Draco smiled as he returned his gaze to the female.

Soon the dance came to an end and most of the gods rose to give Hermione a round of applause. Draco just clapped as to not look suspicious but inside he was smiling and his heart was giving her the biggest round of applause.

Harry rose, "Thank you, my dear," Draco did not like the way that Harry was talking to her and then everything popped into place. Draco blocked Harry's voice out as his face turned from boredom to anger and he rose from his seat. He walked out of the hall and out into the orchard, his mind running a million miles per hour. Why would she do this for him?

\----------------

Hermione rushed away from the hall feeling like she was on fire. She ended up back at her house where Astoria and her mother were waiting for her.

Hannah (Demeter) rushed forward, "Oh, you danced beautiful, my daughter," and she hugged Hermione who tried not to flinch.

Astoria noticed this and stood up from her seat in the corner of the room, "How about you go and get Hermione a drink and food, Aunt Hannah? She looks like she needs it."

"Of course," Hannah said giving Hermione's cheek a sharp pat before she left Hermione's house in a flash.

"Thank you, Ash," Hermione said as she sat down on her bed.

"Anytime," Astoria (Artemis) said as she came up to her, "So, is he here?"

Hermione smiled, blush forming on her cheeks knowing who she was talking about, "Oh, yea."

Astoria squealed, "Tell me."

Hermione burst into laughter, "You sound like Cho."

Astoria's smile turned into a frown, "Tell me, please. And do not call me that disgusting daughter of a bitch."

"I was dancing over to Harry," his name was now the one that sounded like poison to her, "When he pulled me onto his lap and said, _'_ _We meet again, my lady_ ,' "she tried her best to be like him.

Astoria sighed as she walked over to the outfit she was to wear for the party and for Harry, "I am sorry you have to go through this Hermione," she said as she picked up the outfit and held it out for Hermione, "I know what love feels like."

"Really?" Hermione's ears perked up at the sound and again she tried to ignore the light-headness and hot feeling running through her body, "Who?"

Astoria made a small smile, "I know I shouldn't but I just couldn't help myself."

"Tell me who," Hermione insisted again.

'My brother."

"What?" Hermione shrieked, "Blaise (Apollo)?"

Astoria nodded, "Well, let's forget about it. Time for you to get ready."

Hermione sighed and picked up the cloth, looking down at the white material, "Why does he want white?"

"Because-," Astoria was about to say when Hermione interrupted.

"I know," Hermione said, "Symbolic but I do find it annoying. All this white, what I would kill for some colors or black right now."

Astoria chuckled, "Yea, I understand. That is part of the reason why I leave all the time. I don't think anyone ever told you but I was supposed to marry Dean (Hermes)."

"I did not know that," Hermione said.

"Yea," Astoria said, "We talked a lot hoping that we might fall in love but all we ever saw in each other was sibling love," Astoria placed a hand on her knee, "I'm glad you fell in love with a god who is not an ass," and Hermione laughed, "Now, I'll leave you to get change," and Astoria was gone.

Hermione smiled sadly as she looked down at the soft fabric, it reminded her of that ugly chlamys Draco had forced her to get married in. She reached up on her shoulders and unclasped the golden pins, her chlamys falling to her feet. She then brought the soft white material up on her body and a knock echoed across her home. She did not look up, thinking it was Astoria, when she said, "Come in."

She heard a sharp male inhale from behind her and she looked up just as she brought the single golden clasp up around to her left shoulder, leaving her other bare. A tall dark figure with bright blonde hair stood in the doorway. She smiled up at him in a friendly manner. Meanwhile, fire was being born inside her body and the sickness was taking effect, "Good evening, my Lord Draco."


	14. Chapter Nine

_I'll leave you to get change," and Astoria was gone._

_Hermione smiled sadly as she looked down at the soft fabric, it reminded her of that ugly chlamys Draco had forced her to get married in. She reached up on her shoulders and unclasped the golden pins, her chlamys falling to her feet. She then brought the soft white material up on her body and a knock echoed across her home. She did not look up, thinking it was Astoria, when she said, "Come in."_

_She heard a sharp male inhale from behind her and she looked up just as she brought the single golden clasp up around to her left shoulder, leaving her other bare. A tall dark figure with bright blonde hair stood in the doorway. She smiled up at him_ _in a friendly manner. Meanwhile, fire was being born inside her body and the sickness was taking effect, "Good evening, my Lord Draco."_

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    Her skin was pale but a creamy smoothness that practically begged to be touched. Her skillful hands worked carefully on clipping her chlamys together. Draco looked down upon the color and fabric of her outfit. He observed that it was similar to the gown that Draco and her would have observed their union but it made her look like she was about to get sacrificed.

    "Good evening, my Lord Draco," he heard her call to him.

    He lowered his head to her, "And to you, my Lady Hermione."

    "What can I help you with?" she asked as she went over to get a silver bar to place in her hair, "Come to praise me on my dancing," she swept the strips of hair that rested on the sides of her head up into the back. Revealing her long slender neck which he could see was covered in a fine layer of sweat. Sweat, he knew, was not from her dancing but from the sickness.

    "You did dance beautifully," he nodded, "But that is not what I came here for."

    Hermione jerked her head up at him, which did not help with her dizziness, but she seemed to have righted herself, "Well, I have to be going soon."

    "It's about that," he said and motioned out the door, "Shall we walk? 'Tis a beautiful night."

    "But-," She was about to talk but Draco would not let her answer.

    "My brother will understand," he said forcefully and Hermione followed him out of her house, one hand tucked into the area of his elbow. This she was glad for because she needed to lean upon him in order for her to walk.

    "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Hermione asked as they entered the large orchard that Hannah (Demeter) so enjoyed.

    Draco dropped her arm, walking a head of her which she thought odd. He sighed and stopped. Running a hand through his hair, he reeled on her; a fire lit in his silver eyes, "Why did you do it?"

    "Do what?" she asked slightly taken back at his anger. Her breathing was hard and she leaned against the nearby peach tree.

    He pointed a finger at her, "You know exactly what I am talking about!"

    "You are going to have to make it clearer for me then."

    "Why did you...," he trailed off, gulped and continued, "Trade your maidenhood for me?"

    "Oh," she said sadly and looked away from him and up at the glowing house where Harry was probably waiting for her.

    "Yeah, 'oh' is right." he said from behind her. Why wouldn't she say anything about it, he thought. She seems to be hiding something, "Why?"

    "Because," she said a little too fast for his taste.

    "That is not an answer," he responded.

    "To me it is," she crossed her arms, still not looking at him.

    He grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around but she did not budge, "Why won't you tell me?"

    She turned around really quickly , her arms slipping from his grasp and practically yelled, "Because I love you!" she shrieked, her face going into a mixture of shock and relief.

    "What?" his grey eyes widened and he watched in horror as she collapsed against the trunk of the tree, her eyes blinking rapidly. Those four words seemed to take so much energy out of her. He fell to his knees before her, "Hermione?"

    "I'm fine," she pushed him away and got up on shaky hands, Draco following behind her, "Now, I must go and so do you. If anyone ever-."

    Draco placed a finger on her plump lips, silencing her, "Neither of us are going anywhere till you explain why you love me."

    "Well, you're not getting an answer till you say something about it," she glanced at him not wanting to look into those sparkling eyes of his, "Because I don't just go around saying 'I love you' to just anyone."

    Draco smiled, "I might have fallen in love with you also," he responded

    "I fell in love with everything about you," Hermione smiled and looked back at him, her face shiny with sweat, "Don't you think it is odd to have fallen in love in a day?"

    Draco shrugged, "I don't care," and he stepped toward her, a hand stretched out, "Come away with me. Come away with me, Hermione. I can protect you down in the Underworld. You never have to come back here again. Just come away with me, Hermione."

    Hermione looked down at his hand and she reached out with her own. She cupped his, folding it in back upon itself, "I wish I could, Draco," he smiled at the way his name sounded on her lips, "I would have taken your offer in a heartbeat but I cannot risk war upon you or my Uncle and all who are loyal to him and you. I refuse to be the cause."

    "You do have so little faith in me," Draco chuckled and his face turned to a more serious one, "I will tell you again, Hermione, I can protect you. The other gods will never be able find us."

    Hermione shook her head, "No matter what you do, Draco, Harry will find you and destroy you. He loves his things and will protect them," she said sourly but Draco seemed to ignore her.

    Draco reached forward and grabbed her waist pulling her up against him, "I will no longer fight with you, my love," he purred in her ear, "You will eventually have to come with me. The sickness is affecting you already."

    "What sickness?" she said, her hands braced on his chest so she would not faint.

    "It comes with eating the fruit of the Underworld," he said as he looked into her eyes, "When you eat the fruit, you will have to stay in the Underworld. I own you, now."

    Hermione smiled up at him liking the way that he made her sound like his possession. Only he could make her feel this way though Harry had several times said she was his, "That's it. That's why I'm all hot. Isn't it?"

    Draco nodded, "I will leave you here and you can go to Harry and fulfill your side of the bargain since I cannot stop you, but before you do can I have a kiss?"

    Hermione nodded without second thought. Her hands reached for his face where she cradled it in her hands. Draco rested one hand on her hip and the other on the curve of her neck. They both watched the other as they leaned closer to each other and then in sync, their eyes fluttered shut. Their lips were like a whisper on the other until Hermione weaved her fingers through his silky blonde locks bringing them into a passionate kiss. Soft purring sounds could be heard from both as they kissed; both acting like they never were kissed before. Hermione, the goddess of spring time, decided then that her first kiss would not be the one that her Uncle Harry had stolen so carelessly from her, but the one she was sharing right now with Draco, the god of the dead and her only love.

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    Draco weaved his hands into her soft brown hair, angling her head with his. Draco took it slow though knowing she had very little experience and he gently started to nibble and suck on her lips which brought out the most delicious noise from deep within her. He could feel ever single piece of her curvy body up against his own and he was never so sure about someone in his life. This goddess before him was his soul mate and the owner of the blood that Hecate was talking about. Hecate, meanwhile, was lounging on a beach somewhere cackling like a crow as she felt Draco's sudden realization of his soul mate.

    "The old fool got it," she crackled to herself.

    Hermione, meanwhile, moaned as Draco sucked on her bottom lip. He soon released the delicious plump flesh and his tongue surged forward inside of her mouth tracing the small opening her mouth provided. Hermione's fingers tangled themselves farther into his hair and she yanked him forward even more closer to her.

    "I wish you were inside me," she whispered in between the fusion of their lips. Draco seemed to awaken something inside her, a darker and more real side of her.

    "I wish I could take you," he said back to her.

    Hermione trailed kisses along his strong jaw line to the shell of his ear, "Then take me."

    Draco growled, the possessive animal inside of him was finally unleashed, "Come with me."

    Hermione looked up into his eyes, "But-."

    "Hermione, please," Draco begged much more urgently as he leaned his forehead against hers and Hermione sighed. The sound of him begging, wanting her, made her rethink her decision.

    "Yes, alright," and just as Draco was about to celebrate, Hermione went and interrupted him, "But, I need to get some of my things. I am not going to be walking around naked or in outfits which I have no idea where they have been."

    Draco smirked, "I would not mind if you walked around naked."

    Hermione blushed deep red, "Draco!" she gently slapped his arm, "Can you let me go so I can go get packed?"

    "Okay, okay, okay," Draco said and reluctantly pulled away from her, "But hurry up my little pet," he whispered to her in a deep voice full of promises and lust.

    Hermione blushed even deeper, her cheeks resembling the pomegranate she had eaten, "Alright," and Hermione sprinted away, a smile upon her face. Draco watched as she ran away and for the first time in his life he felt happy and that everything was going to be okay. But like any story, he knew this would not last forever.


	15. Chapter Ten

|Author's Note:|  
I will be brief. This is a sex scene.   
<><><><>  
Hermione could not stop the grin that was on her face as she walked into her home. She was finally going to be with the man she loves which was what she always dreamed of since she was a young goddess. Walking around, she picked up piece of clothing and jewelry that she would need.   
"Hermione?" she heard her best friend call out to her and Hermione looked up from gathering her stuff.   
"Astoria," Hermione smiled brightly, "What can I help you with?"  
Astoria (Artemis) eyed her belongings on the bed, "Where are you going?"  
Hermione grabbed Astoria by her arm and pulled her down on the bed next to her, "You would not believe what just happened," and Hermione went into telling her story, "And then we kissed and here I am," by this time, Astoria was smiling.   
"Oh my goddesses, Hermione," Astoria brought her in for a hug, "You are so lucky!"  
Hermione giggled, "Thank you," and she got up, "Well, I must finish packing."  
"Can I help you?" Astoria got up but their happiness turned sour.   
"Help you with what?" a much more mature voice entered their conversation.   
Both girls looked up at the door in horror, "Mother," Hermione said.  
Hannah (Demeter) entered the small house, walking straight toward Hermione, "What's going on here?"  
"Nothing," both girls said quickly as they hid Hermione's things behind them.  
Hannah just glanced around them and then she flipped off the hook, "What is this?" she pushed the girls out of her road as Hermione's mother grabbed Hermione's traveling cloak, "Where do you think you are going?"  
"Mother...," Hermione sighed and looked down at her feet, "I'm going away for a long time. Due to recent events, I am going to go see the world."  
"Hermione-," Hannah tried to speak.  
"Don't you just ever want to do that, mother," Hermione continued to speak as she walked toward her mother, "See the world, both the immortal and mortal?"  
"Oh no you don't!" Hannah yelled at her, "You are not going anywhere!"  
"But mother-," Hermione tried to speak.   
"No!" Hannah screeched, "You are not going anywhere but to Father Harry's tent. It's time for you to grow up!" Hannah screamed and Hermione felt tears roll down her cheeks.   
"She has grown up but you are to blind by to see that!" Astoria snapped and Hannah glared at her, "Ma'am," she added in a whisper.  
"I'll forget that you even said that Astoria," Hannah said and then turned back to her daughter, "Now, Hermione, are you ready?"  
Hermione felt rage fill her and she looked at her mother, "Φωτιά, φωτιά, φωτιά (Fire)," and Astoria and Hermione watched as everything around them caught on fire, an emerald green flame bursting into bloom licking away the gold inlay of Hermione's small hut. Hermione quickly grabbed her things and Astoria's hand and fled the burning building leaving her mother trying to escape the flames.  
(Sorry to interrupt but please tell me if this Greek is wrong for fire. I went off of Google Translate)  
"Hermione," Astoria pulled on Hermione as they came to the entrance of the orchard.  
"What is it?" Hermione looked at her friend.  
"Darl-," a male voice came from nowhere and Hermione watched as a dark figure appeared from the trees, "Oh, you have company."  
"Draco-," Hermione tried to explain but Astoria stepped forward.   
"You must be Lord Draco," Astoria extended her hand in greeting and Draco (Hades) took it, slightly surprised at the wild goddess.  
"That I am," and he kissed her hand, "And you must be Lady Astoria (Artemis). I always admired how you had a mind."  
Astoria giggled, "Thank you," and she turned to Hermione, "I know what you are thinking but I must stay Hermione. Someone has to cover your ass while you're gone."  
Hermione laughed and brought her friend into a hug, "I understand. Thank you for everything Astoria. I do not know what I would do without you."  
Astoria laughed, "Well, just let me be at your binding ceremony and we'll be even."  
"Of course," Draco said and held his hand out to Hermione, "Shall we go, my lady?"  
Hermione let go of Astoria and placed her hand in Draco's, "We shall," and she turned to Astoria, "Thank you once again, Astoria."  
Astoria waved her off, "Don't mention it. Go have fun and see the world."  
"Thank you, Astoria," Draco said and he pulled Hermione into his arms, evaporating them into space.  
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Hermione (Persephone) and Draco (Hades) landed in a haze of lust, love, and power. Hermione was not sure where they landed in the vast space of the Underworld for all she could see in front of her was her present and her future. Draco raised one hand to cup her face, his thumbs ran over the soft skin of her cheeks. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of their breathing.  
"Hermione," his voice was gentle making her feel safe. Safer than anyone ever made her feel and this feeling caused her to open her eyes. Her soft brown doe eyes connected with his steel ones and all she saw within those grey abysses was love, unconditional love. That look was all she needed as she leaned up and connected their lips.  
Draco's hand buried themselves into her soft and lush brown hair pulling her toward him. Hermione's hands ran down his neck to the clasp that held his cloak together and unclasped it. His black wings fell down behind him as she slowly shed each layer of his mask. Her hands ran over the black tunic he had on, she could feel the hard muscles of his chest shiver as she touched them. Draco's hands wondered down to her shoulders and with quick movements of his hands, he unclasped the pins holding her chlamys together and her white wings fell to her feet, leaving her completely bare. Draco let go of her lips and traveled down the length of her neck, sucking on her tender flesh causing Hermione to moan.   
Hermione's fingers clumsily roamed down the front of Draco's chest to the belt that wrapped around his waist. She pulled on the thick leather and it came loose quickly. She then pushed the fabric up and Draco broke away from her to help Hermione pull his long tunic off. Draco's hands latched onto Hermione's hips and he pulled them together, both moaning as they felt each other's skin and body heat. His hands traveled down to the back of her thighs and in one swift moment, he raised her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. His erection was nestled in her virgin folds and he had to hold back the animal inside that wanted to slip inside her and pound away. But this would be her first time and he wanted to take it slow, show her what real passion and love was and not how Harry (Zeus) showed it to be. He knew that they would have plenty of time to discover each other, years and centuries; they had forever.  
He walked forward with her still wrapped around him until he felt his bed hit his shins. Gently he laid her down upon the black silk fabric of his bed and looked down upon her. She lay beneath him, her dark brown hair surrounding her face in a halo of darkness. Her cheeks were pink with blush and her lips were parted as she breathed in heavy desire. Her brown eyes glistened with desire and love as she looked up at him. Her milky white flesh seemed to glow as it lay upon his sheets. To him she looked like some forbidden creature who deep within held the darkest and deepest passions. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Are you ready, my love?" his tongue swiped out to lick the soft flesh beneath her ear, his hips positioned themselves in between her milky thighs.  
"Yes," she said in a breathy voice and in one swift movement he entered her. Her face wrinkled in pain as he took her virginity and he paused. His breathing was hard as he tried to control the animal in him.  
"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded.   
With her answer, he began his steady thrusts inside her soaked walls. Soon, he felt her match his pace, her hips touching his every time she took him inside her. He hissed in pleasurable pain as her nails raked down his back and her breast brushed against his chest. He leaned down and began to suckle on the side of her neck. She knew that he was marking her, letting the world know she was taken, and she moaned at that thought. She wrapped her legs around his waist even tighter as she felt that beautiful pleasure build up inside her. Draco could feel her start to shake and her beginning orgasm. He let go of her neck and brought his lips down upon hers slowing her movements. It was then in that moment she bloomed for him beneath his fingers and his lips, a glorious bud burst forth from inside her and for the first time in her life, she felt whole. He came a second later with a growl of her name to her lips, spilling his seed deep within her.   
They lay there together tangled in their flesh as they panted heavily, both not quite sedated. Hermione held her lover to her breast as if he were a child. She could feel his seed soak her inner thighs and she smiled for there was no mortal or immortal she would rather have be the father of her children than Draco.   
"What are you smiling at?" Draco looked up into his lover's face.  
"Children, my darling," she smiled at him and he mirrored her. He then sealed their lips once more but it was a quick kiss and Draco rested his forehead against her own.  
"Would you be my queen, Hermione?" he asked her in a gentle voice.  
"I will be, my lord, if you'll have me," was her response and with that Draco decided to show her exactly how he worshiped his Queen of the Underworld.  
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"NO!" the goddess Hannah's screams echoed across Mt. Hogwarts and many of the immortals cringed at how like a siren she sounded. Her flesh was burned in certain areas and her hair was chopped but none of it mattered. Her daughter was gone and all of her dreams vanished with her.   
It was all that Hannah wanted for Hermione; for her daughter to have a husband who had a position in their immortal world and for her grandchildren to be perfect. Hannah even wanted deep down inside her for Hermione to lay with Harry for Hannah saw that her brother was a perfect specimen to take away her daughter's pesky virginity. Hannah wanted her daughter to not be how she was, an old goddess who did not give her virtue away till she met Morpheus. Hannah wanted Hermione to be a good girl when she was younger but when she got older, Hannah wanted Hermione to throw herself at gods. Show Cho (Aphrodite) what it meant to be a real woman and not a flirtatious goddess who never knew love... goddess of love my arse, Hannah thought.   
Hannah could not believe that her own daughter would leave her. She was her mother and had done everything to protect her... Hannah then had a thought pop into her. Her own brother was a little bastard. He must have put a spell upon her daughter and taken her back to his dark hole. Hannah then realized that he must have also wanted Hermione's precious virtue before King Harry could take it... that selfish bastard, Hannah screamed in her mind. Another thought popped into her mind and Hannah rushed off to her brother's chambers, she had some words to speak and the king of the gods needed to listen.


	16. Chapter Eleven

Harry (Zeus) sat in his throne room upon his seat of marble and inlaid gold. He glanced over at his wife's throne which was identical to his but was inlaid with silver. He sighed as he thought about how he had treated her during their marriage life and he will admit that it was mostly his fault. He was the one that went after the other's while she stayed loyal to him, always there to rub his back and always will be. But he could not say much for what he himself would be like.  
Late at night, he would sometimes come to their bed and there she would be; sleeping peacefully on her side, waiting for him. He knew that she always thought that love was going to save her, bring him always back to her, but he never came. She deserved someone better than him; she deserved someone who had no demons, someone who only held angels in their heart.   
"Harry," the familiar voice of his sister came from the entrance of his throne room but Harry was too busy thinking about his wife, his loyal Ginny (Hera), "Harry," Hannah (Demeter) called more forcefully out to him, unfogging his thoughts.  
"Hannah," he gave a gentle smile, "What can I do for y-?" that was when he noticed her more clearly, "What happened to you?" Her hair was chopped off and there was a hint of sulfur in the air.  
"Hermione is gone, once again," Hannah sneered, "Your brother took her and did this to me!" a complete lie but Hannah would do anything in order to have her daughter back in her arms. She will deal with Hermione once she is back.   
"Draco's your brother too," Harry said in a quiet voice.  
"He is no brother of mine," Hannah growled, "Are you going to do something about him?"  
"What is there to do?" Harry asked, "Clearly, Hermione went of her own accord. I strictly told Draco to not take her again and he would not defy me so that is the only possibility."  
"He took her!" Hannah screeched, "I want my daughter back!"  
Harry sighed and looked up into her brown eyes, so harsh were they that he looked away, "I know you do, my sister."  
"Then do something about it!" Hannah screeched.  
"Like what?" Harry snapped at her, "What do you want me to do? Rage war upon him?" and Harry saw within her eyes a spark, "Oh no! Hannah, I will not do that!"  
"You will," Hannah said in a low voice as she walked toward him, "Rage war upon your brother," she raised her hand and slid it along Harry's jawline, "So strong," she commented and Harry felt a wave of magic rush over him. Suddenly he kissed her lips and her sweet taste rushed over him. Harry moaned as Hannah sat down on his lap and molded their bodies together. He ran his hands over her body, rushing to get at her skin. Hannah did the same with his and their clothes flew across the room. In one swift movement, Hannah situated herself over Harry's hard erection and slid down, sheathing him completely. Their moans echoed in the throne room but in the back of Harry's mind, all he could think about was how different Ginny felt compared to Hannah. Harry, deep down, felt more complete when he and Ginny had sex but with Hannah, he felt only a one time fling. Slowly, Harry began to feel the waterfall of pleasure coming up and his thrusts up became more erratic.   
"Harry," Hannah said in a breathy moan and she came a minute later, Harry followed later, "So, will you rage war?" and Hannah leaned into his ear, an evil smirk upon her lips, "Swear upon the River Styx," and she gently kissed his ear. Her tongue gently licked slightly before dipping inside of Harry's ear, transforming itself into a snake and the snake bit down hard inside of his ear. Hannah quickly placed her hand over Harry's mouth to cover his screams and she waited until the venom took its hold. When it had, Hannah's tongue transformed back to its true form and she continued to lick Harry's ear as if nothing had happened, "Harry," she whispered in his ear, "I have something else to ask of you."  
"Yes," Harry said.  
"Make me Queen," she said.  
Harry responded in a trance like voice, "I swear upon the River Styx that I will rage war upon Lord Draco and I shall make you my Queen," there was a flash of gold and Hannah smiled. She slid off of him and picked up her chlamys from the floor.  
She turned around, "Thank you, Harry," as she left with a smirk, she could hear Harry call all the Olympians to the throne room. She loved the magic Morpheus gave her during their coupling so much at times.   
May the King of the Underworld protect you well, my daughter, she promised, For, I will find you and your precious king.  
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Hermione sighed as she cuddled closer to her King. He no longer felt cold to her but warm, as if his body had taken all of her heat and transferred it to his during their love making. Well, technically that was what they had done. It felt way too personal and almost gentle to be just pure sex. Draco had taken care of her and showed her how beautiful sex could be. He made her first time a wonderful experience and she smiled at the memories he gave her.   
Hermione felt Draco shifted beneath her and she shifted herself so her chin rested on his chest and looked up at him, "Draco?"  
"Hmmm?" she saw him smile as he woke up.  
"Draco," she called out to him and slowly those grey eyes she so loved appeared.  
He smiled brightly, "Well, isn't this a good mourning," his voice was husky with sleep.  
Hermione giggled, "Hey," she said and Draco leaned down and kissed her lips, "I was wondering," and Draco kissed her lips again, "when are we," he kissed her again, causing her to groan, "getting bounded?" and Draco froze.  
"When would you like too?" Draco asked, he seemed kind of uncomfortable for some unknown reason, "Anytime is good as long-."  
"What's the matter?" Hermione asked as she rose up and cupped his face in her hands, "You seem nervous?"  
"I'm worried," Draco said honestly, "I have a feeling that something is going to happen," and then he smiled, "Probably just nerves," he shook it off and turned to her, "So, when would you like to get bonded?" and he wrapped his arm tighter around her naked waist causing her thigh to rise up higher on his leg.  
"Whenever will be-," she was interrupted by a stormy grey cloud that floated in through the arch.   
Draco growled as he covered Hermione up in the sheets and stood up in front of the bed as quickly as possible. Before their eyes, the cloud transformed into a tall man covered in bright armor. Draco growled lowly at the man who stood before him, "Brother."  
"Draco," the stormy god smiled at him.  
"What can I help you with?" Draco said.  
"You have committed an act against our world. You have hurt one of the twelve Olympian gods, Her Majesty, Hannah, the goddess of agriculture and Queen of the Gods."  
"What?!" Draco and a female voice shrieked. Harry looked around Draco and saw Hermione appear, the black silk sheets wrapped firmly around her.  
"Ah, Lady Hermione," Harry said and smirked, "I knew there was someone I missed on the invite list," then he directed his attention back to Draco, "Another matter of attention, you've also taken Lady Hermione, the goddess of springtime and the mother of my future children, again, and from right beneath me too."  
"He did no such thing!" Hermione defended Draco but Harry pretended not to listen.  
Harry continued, his voice rumbled like thunder, "Lastly, you have disobeyed my orders and have broken the treaty between you and me and our brother, Neville. With this being said, I have no other choice left but to rage war upon you and your land."  
"No, Harry!" Hermione shrieked and pleaded, "Please don't do this!" tears streamed down her cheeks as she held her beloved behind her, protecting him, "Please!"  
Harry just chuckled, "Awww," and his green eyes switched back and forth between hers and Draco's, "Did Hecate teach you some of her mind tricks, brother?"  
"Draco, nor anybody for that matter, put any mind spell on me," Hermione said as she stepped toward Harry, "I came here on my own freewill. I am in love with Draco!"  
Harry chuckled again, "Your mind tricks have worked well, brother dear, but none the less, war shall fall upon your world. I warn you now, Draco, meet me on the fields of Gold tomorrow at dawn," and Harry rushed forward, crushing Hermione in between them. Draco found he could not move as his Queen was crushed between him and his perverted brother, "I promise you, I shall destroy you for what you have done," and Draco felt Harry move his pelvis against Hermione's lower abdomen and Draco tried not to grimace, "And I shall take your darling pet Hermione, and her stomach shall be round with my children. You will be mine," he focused his last sentence on Hermione and he was gone as quickly as he came.   
They were silent for moments before Hermione burst into full fledge tears, quickly turning herself around, and crushing Draco to her body. Draco gently stroked her hair as the black sheet fell from around her and her tears stained Draco's chest.  
"Shh," Draco said, "I won't let him have you."  
Hermione shook her head, "T-t-t-that's not what I am m-mo-most worried about," she stuttered out her words as she tried to calm down.  
Draco cupped her face in his hands and turned her gaze up to him, "What is it then, my love?" he gently rubbed her cheeks, her tears drying on her skin.  
"I never wanted this," she said, "Never wanted you to get hurt. Never wanted you to go to war."  
Draco chuckled lightly and kissed her forehead, "Let me tell you something, Hermione. You are worth going to war. I would fight every war necessary to have you. Climb the walls of Troy if I must but you are worth everything. But I will not be going to war. We will be going to war."  
"What?" Hermione looked up at him in shock at his words.  
"Ride by my side," Draco asked of her, "Ride beside me where you belong."  
Hermione thought for only a moment before she smiled and cupped his cheek, "Of course, my love," and she sealed their lips with her promise.


	17. Chapter Twelve

Later that night, Hermione waited outside the throne room by herself. She stood still waiting for the doors to open but deep inside her she was worried that Draco's kingdom would not like her as a Queen. Yes, the Palace people liked her but that was only a small fraction of Draco's kingdom. Would she even be a good Queen?

She was shaken from her thoughts when the doors opened and her breath caught in her throat. On either side of the throne room were hundreds of ghosts and they all stared at her. She swallowed her fear and took a step down the aisle. At the end of the aisle stood Draco in his long black cloak and shiny armor and on his head was a crown unlike anything she had ever seen. The crown wrapped around his head in a single sheet of metal but in different places, pieces were cut out to cause the metal to flow in sharp waves. It was silver but as the light shined down upon it flashed gold. She smiled at him and he mirrored her.

Soon she came to the base of the throne and got down on one knee before him, her dark black fur robe spread around her. He made a motion with his hands and a young man came up next to Draco, holding a cushion with a beautiful crown laying upon it, "Thank you, Thanatos," Draco said as he picked up the crown, "Lady Hermione," his voice was as loud as thunder as it echoed across the throne room for everyone to hear, "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the Underworld according to the statures that the Council of the Dead agreed on and the respective laws and customs of the same? Will you in all your power cause law and justice and mercy to be executed in all judgements?"

"I solemnly promise and swear to do so," Hermione's voice rang out in the throne room.

"Then by the power vested by me given by the people of the Underworld, I proudly introduce to you, my people," Draco spoke to the ghosts in the hall as he _finally_ placed her crown of metal roses upon her head, "Her Majesty, daughter of Morpheus and the goddess of spring time, Hermione, the Queen," she smiled as she turned around to face her people, "Of the Underworld," and the ghosts broke out in cheer as she was officially introduced to them.

She felt Draco come up beside her and she twined their fingers together as they stood before their people, "I love you," she murmured to him.

"Love you too," she heard him say causing her to grin, "Attention, my people," and the ghosts became quiet at the call of his voice, "King Harry has called war upon our land," a burst of quiet whispers came from the hall, "I need your help in order to keep our land. I need you all to fight by Queen Hermione's and I's side. Are you with us?" the hall was quiet and this caused Draco to become puzzled.

Hermione saw this and she smiled as she stepped forward, "My people," she had their attention now due to their need to know what her first speech was, "I know that we have no right to ask of you this but we do need your help," she stepped down to stand with her people, "King Harry thinks that my King, Draco, took me and I want to tell you the truth," she smiled as she noticed some children standing near the front row. She went over to them, "Hi, I'm Hermione," she introduced herself but the children were quiet and shy, "The truth is," she looked up at Draco who looked down at her with a shine in his silver eyes, "We fell in love like Perseus and Andromeda," and she looked back at the children who smiled at the mention of the couple, "We fell in love but our family has misunderstood us," and she looked at her people, "Will you help us?" the hall was quiet until a young woman and man stepped forward both covered in tattoos. Hermione recognized them as Amazonians.

"We are with you, Your Majesty," the woman said as she held onto the man's hand. Soon, more people came to stand before her until everyone had stepped forward.

It was in that moment that Hermione became a queen and everyone saw that and nothing ever made Draco more proud of his Queen then how she grasped her hold of his people in this single moment.

<><><><>

*dialogue of coronation vows from Princess Diaries 2 so rights to them for that. Thought it would be perfect for Hermione and Draco.


	18. PART FOUR

"On both feet, and the heart inside his chest pounds violent

As he thinks of the death spirits and his teeth chatter together:

But the brave man's skin will not change color, nor is he too much

Frightened, once he has taken his place in the hidden position,

But his prayer is to close as soon as may be in bitter division."

- _The Iliad_ by Homer


	19. Chapter Thirteen

**|** **AN:** **|**

Warning! Rape scene. It is not Draco and Hermione!

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The Underworld went into chaos after Draco dismissed everyone from the hall. The echo of metal upon metal as the Underworld's best metal smiths, which were a lot, went to work and the orange glow that they gave off gave everyone hope. The woman even started to join the men in preparation for the battle.

    In the palace, however everyone was getting battle ready. Draco was outside with Antonius practicing with their swords and as Hermione looked out upon them, all she could see was the dark swirl of Draco's cape. Finally, the whirlwind came to a stop and Hermione observed that Draco had pinned Antonius beneath him, his sword pointed at Antonius' grey throat. Hermione smiled and she began to clap. Draco smiled as he looked up at Hermione and made a mock bow.

    "Thank you, my lady," and she bowed her head.

    Antonius got up from the floor and, after dusting himself off, bowed to Hermione, "My lady."

    "Antonius, perfect," Hermione said with her smile still on her face, "Could you go and fetch Lavender for me? I do not understand how to put my armor on," she giggled slightly.

    Antonius bowed to her, "Of course, my lady," and he was gone in a swirl of yellow.

    Hermione walked over to her King, "I hope you don't mind if I stole him away for a little bit?"

    Draco smiled, "Of course not," he wrapped his arms around her waist and bent in low to steal kiss. But she shifted out of the way causing him to pout.

    "Tsk tsk," Hermione mocked, "Not so fast, my King," she brought her arms around his neck and brought him in close," A hug first," she whispered in his ear, "A kiss," she brought her lips close to his barely touching, "For later," and she jumped out of his arms causing him to burst into laughter.

    "Alright, tease," he said in a childish voice, "But, I am warning you now, my Queen, you are in for it later," and that warning had her feeling hot and sent her core pulsing.

    "You called, my lady," Lavender's voice came from behind her and Hermione smiled as she turned around.

    "Yes," she said, "I need help putting my armor on," and as Hermione walked out of the throne, she could feel Draco's eyes on her.

She and Lavender walked through the dark halls that were now Hermione's home. Gone was the feeling of dread that she felt when she first came here and in its place was light. She smiled lightly as they walked into the chamber she now shared with Draco. Hermione stood in the middle of the room and began to strip herself of her clothes.

"Thank you, Lavender," Hermione said to her servant as Lavender went to grab her armor undergarments, which were thin pieces of cloth, "For everything. You were right in the end; I have learned to accept this place as my home."

Lavender turned and smiled, "Your welcome, my lady," and she gave the fabric to Hermione who pinned it in its place. Lavender then next went over to grab the hard metal armor that was molded perfectly to Hermione's body. Lavender sighed.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" Hermione asked, complete worry in her voice.

"Just thinking about my past," Lavender said as she stared down at the curves in the metal.

"Would you like to tell me?" Hermione asked, "I know you don't like to talk about it but it helps."

Lavender sighed once more, "I guess you have the right to know now," and Lavender looked up into Queen Hermione's eyes, "You better sit down, my lady," and so Lavender began her story.

_The wind was soft in her dirty blonde hair but the wind carried with it the heavy smell of sweat, blood, and fear. She wasn't surprised though, they were in the midst of a battle. Quickly, Lavender made her way through the doors which led into her mistress and master's room as one of the nearby temples exploded in fire nearby. She winced and said a quick prayer to King Harry (Zeus) to send those who disgraced the temple to the deepest parts of the Underworld._

_"My lady," Lavender called out to her mistress but found that the house was empty. Had they left her? She thought which caused her mind to fill with sadness, anger, and fear. A lone servant girl was not what a normal Trojan would want in a time of war like this._

_Suddenly from behind her, Lavender saw the door burst open and in stepped a large man, one that made Lavender tremble with fear. The man was obviously a Spartan due to how muscular he was, his sculpted chest protected by a heavy sheet of metal. He was covered in sweat and blood, his sword dripping crimson liquid onto her mistress's new floors. The man had a semi-thick beard upon his chin and a good tuff of dark hair upon his head. It was his eyes though that made Lavender tremble with fear for they were black and empty as if his soul never was there to begin with. The man charged at her, ripping off his metal armor quickly to the floor with a loud clang. He gripped her arms and threw her onto her mistress's bed. Lavender then realized what was going to happen to her._

_"No!" she screamed as she tried to kick the man away but he was so much stronger than her._

_The man just chuckled and he tied her hands behind her back with a piece of ripped cloth he found nearby. She screamed at him to stop what he was doing and that she would go with him willingly but he still did not listen. His large hands roamed down Lavender's sides and she tried to roll away from him causing the man to grab hold of her and ripping her chlamys around her thighs. She screamed louder but this time for help, hoping that some of her kinsmen were nearby._

_The man forcefully grabbed her chin so she looked at him, "No one is coming for you, my kitten," she noticed that he had overly sharp teeth, like a wolf, even his breath smelled like one, "You can scream all you want and no one will hear you," the man chuckled, "I order you to scream, kitten. Scream as I take you," and he let go of her chin, tears streaming down her face._

_The man's hands made his way down her sides again, coming to stop at her breast where he pulled at her nipples. She screamed at him to stop, her heart refusing to believe his words. She though couldn't stop her body's reaction to his treatment of her and she arched slightly into him, "Who are you?" she growled._

_The man came to a stop and he looked at her, "Fenrir Greyback but you will call me master, understand?" and before she could answer, his hands continued down to her hips._

_"Stop," she sobbed over and over again, her legs trying to get out from under his._

_Fenrir grasper her thighs and pulled them apart baring her to him. He growled as he pulled his thick erection from his uniform. He collapsed on top of her, squeezing her beneath him, and rubbed the tip of his erection against her entrance, "Scream for me," he growled so lowly in her ear that it almost sounded unhuman and entered her breaking her maidenhood._

_Lavender screamed as pain overtook her maiden tunnel which was not use to being attacked like this. Fenrir moved fast, in and out of her, not even waiting for her to adjust to him. He groaned as he felt her blood lubricate his erection making the traction along her walls easier. Faster and faster he moved and Lavender's screams turned to moans and whimpers as her body took over, the pleasure slowly building._

_"No," Lavender moaned, tears streaming down her face._

_Fenrir growled against her ear, taking the earlobe in his mouth and biting it, "You don't mean that, my kitten. You love it, don't you?" his hips were now like a piston against her and his breath was coming short, "You...," he panted, "Love me... deep inside you... don't you?"_

_"No," Lavender moaned as her hips moved with his, tears like a waterfall against her cheeks. Finally, the rubber band snapped for both of them and her walls contracted around his erection. His seed shot up into her womb and he collapsed against her, "No," Lavender whimpered against him, her body exhausted from the attack on it._

_Fenrir kissed her on her neck, "You're mine, you understand? I'll come back for you and when I do, you will come with me," he moved out of her and was gone from her vision._

_Lavender began to cry and she curled up into a ball, her body so terribly sore. Slowly, she felt herself drift into a numb like state, like she was somewhere between sleeping and wide awake. She felt like she was flying, the wind blowing through her fingers as easily as water and she never felt so free in her life._

"Fenrir came back for me that night after he was done fighting," Lavender said, tears carving into her cheeks, "But he only found my dead body."

"Oh, Lavender," Hermione said, her voice laced with tears.

"I learned later on that I wasn't the first time Fenrir had done something like this," Lavender said as she continued to stare at her reflection in the armor, "He had many women in his life, all varying from conquests to volunteers to even girls who believed they loved him. He never had a wife but he did have many children," Lavender finally looked up into Hermione's eyes which were just as wet as Lavender's own, "That is why I fight for your side, my lady. The gods on Hogwarts did nothing for me, no matter how hard I prayed or sacrificed for them. King Draco was the only one and for that, I am in his debt."

Hermione nodded and stood up, her arms opened wide. Lavender accepted the hug with a smile of happiness, "I am so sorry, Lavender. Nobody deserves what you went through," she paused before going on, "I thank you for telling me. I know it must have been hard," Lavender nodded and the two women let go of each other.

Lavender smiled at Hermione and picked up the metal armor, "Here's your armor, my lady," and Hermione grabbed it from her with a small smile.

"Thank you, Lavender," Hermione said as she held the front plate against her breast and Lavender picked up the back piece, "I hope we can be best friends now," Hermione said as Lavender tied the two metal pieces together, holding Hermione's body inside.

"I hope so too," Lavender said as she finished tying them. Then she picked up the heavy metal and leather skirt and handed it to Hermione who tied it around her waist.

"Well, how about we start with some questions?" Hermione said as she finished tying the leather strings of her skirt, "What's your favorite animal?"

"I always had a sort of weakness of rabbits," Lavender said as she grabbed the leather straps which will later hold her weapons.

Hermione giggled, "They are pretty cute."

"What about you, my lady?" Lavender asked as she braided Hermione's hair down her back.

"I love the otters and ferrets and such," Hermione said, "There's just something about them."

Lavender giggled, "I agree, my lady," and Lavender backed off of Hermione, "You are done, my lady."

Hermione looked at herself in the reflective pan before her and smiled, "You have done beautifully again, Lavender," Hermione said and as she walked to the door, she asked Lavender one more question, "Will you be joining us in battle, Lavender?"

Lavender smiled a hidden smirk within it, "Of course I will, my lady. Revenge, I've heard, is always better served hot."

Hermione laughed, "That it is, Lavender, that it is," and she exited the room, a smile on her face.


	20. Chapter Fourteen

Hermione searched for her lover in the dark corridors of the Underworld. Outside, she could hear the clang of armor and swords being fashioned and the bright orange glow they gave was a hopeful hue. Hermione never liked war, never liked the blood and violence and the misunderstanding but this was necessary. She was tired of reading about lovers being forever parted and she was tired of her family abandoning the immortals who were different, the ones who were the blooming flowers among broken bones. She was part of this group and she knew many others would be too.

    Hermione finally found her lover in the armory beneath the throne room, hidden behind locks and magic. Lord Draco wasn't alone though. Beside him were several people that Hermione did and did not recognize. The immortals around Draco saw her and they bowed their heads causing Draco to look behind him. He smiled and Hermione joined his side.

    "Ah, my Queen," Draco said, "Glad you could join us. I want to introduce to you some dear friends of mine and some of yours whom have made the trip down to us," and Draco pointed to several of her own friends, "Pansy (Hestia), Lily (Athena), Blaise (Apollo), and Ron (Hephaestus)," Hermione grinned at her close friends and they smiled at her. Hermione noticed though that one of her close friends was gone.

"Where's Astoria (Artemis)?" she asked.

Blaise (Apollo) looked down at his feet, "She stayed. She thought she could protect you and King Draco if she stayed on Mt. Hogwarts," Hermione sighed. She knew there was nothing she could do and Draco placed a comforting hand on her back.

"I'm sorry," Draco said.

Hermione chuckled lightly between her sadness, "Astoria always was so brave," she trailed off.

Draco sighed and they all were quiet. Draco cut the silence, though, "These are some of my friends which I don't think you have met yet," and Draco brought her to stand before a tall man who had dark hair and black eyes. On his back were a pair of glorious black wings, "This is Thantos, my second in command so to speak."

    Thantos stepped forward and bowed low to Hermione, "I am honored to be graced with your present, my Queen," Hermione blushed at how formal he was. Draco did not notice though.

    "And I you, Thantos," Hermione nodded her head to the god.

    "Next we have Hecate who is the mother hen around here," Draco motioned to the thin boney blonde woman next to Thantos.

    Hermione watched as she let loose a horrifying shriek of laughter and noted that her teeth were sharp like a Molossus, "Only when you are behaving like a naughty baby," Hecate and bowed to Hermione, her long black clock fanning out around her, "Your majesty, an honor."

    "The pleasure is all mine," Hermione nodded. There was something about that woman that she found to be enchanting and powerful and there was also something about her that Hermione didn't like, like she was not all that she seemed. Maybe it is because she is a Titan and Hermione was raised to not like them?

    "Next we have Erebus and Nyx," a man and woman stepped forward dressed in dark silver armor, their skin so white it was almost blinding. Their eyes were raven and glistened like birds eyes. The man had two swords strapped to his back and the woman had a slick black bow and a sheath full of silver tipped arrows, "Erebus is the general of the left flank and his sister, Nyx, is in charge of our archery division."

    "We are honored to meet you, your majesty," they spoke together in hush voices that sent a cold shiver down her spine.

    "Likewise," she smiled at them and bobbed her head. She liked them already for some reason.

    "And...," Draco trailed off as two more gods stepped forward.

    "Hermione," the one with dark hair said. Hermione looked into the god's eyes which were a dark, dreamy, blue color and she found them to be beautiful. The god stared down at her with a smile on his face, his eyes rimmed with dark circles, "I know I have no right to ask you of this, but forgive me?" Hermione looked at the god in confusion and then she saw it. The gods jaw, and his stature, and the way his eyes looked at her and his hair... it was exactly what she saw in her reflection.

    "Father?" Hermione asked the god, her eyes beginning to tear up. The god nodded, a joyful smile on his face, and Hermione jumped into Morpheus' arms, "Father."

    "My daughter," Morpheus whispered in her hair, the same color as his.

    "Of course I'll forgive you," Hermione whispered in his ear, "I love you."

    Morpheus squeezed his daughter close to him, "I love you, too, my darling."

    Someone cleared their throat behind Morpheus and Hermione looked up from her father's shoulder. Behind them was a tall, blonde god. His eyes were grey like Draco's, but they were sharper and more hypnotizing. Morpheus let go of his daughter and turned toward the man, "Hermione, I would like you to meet a...," he paused trying to find the right word, "a dear friend of mine," and the god stepped forward, taking Hermione's hand. Hermione could hear Draco growl in annoyance behind them, but she ignored him, "This is Hypnos."

    "A pleasure, Lady Hermione or shall I say," he dipped his head, kissing her hand, " _Queen_ Hermione?"

    "Queen, please," Hermione said and retreated from the god, he was bad news, she could tell, "And the pleasure is mine."


	21. Chapter Fifteen

   Suddenly the door to the armory burst open and a tall woman appeared out of the doorway, "King Draco! Lady Hermione!" the woman came to them, her long auburn hair trailing behind her. She wore a long white robe, which shimmered like fish scales in the water. Her eyes were a forest green and they were sparked with an anger that seemed to always be there.

    "Andromeda (Iris)!" Draco came to her and they embraced, a joyful smile on both their faces, "Tell me, my dear friend, have you come to join our side," Andromeda was the goddess of rainbows and messengers, and her being here could only mean one thing.

    "Sadly not, Draco," Andromeda (Iris) responded, her face filled with sadness, "I refuse to take part in these war games."

    "Then what are you doing here, not that I mind you visiting me?" Draco smirked.

    "I have a message from the Anemoi."

    "The Anemoi?" Hermione asked, stepping forward next to Draco. She had heard of them but never knew what their names were.

    Andromeda bowed her head to Hermione, "Lady Hermione, may I congratulate you on your crowning? I know you will be a great ruler," Hermione smiled at her in thanks, "The Anemoi, my lady, are the gods of the wind. There is Sirius (Boreas), the god of the North wind, and James (Zephyr), the god of the West wind. There is also Peter (Notos), the god of the South wind, and Remus (Euros), the god of the East wind."

    "They know a lot of what goes around in both the mortal and immortal world," Draco informed her and then he started to chuckle, "They like to play tricks, too."

    "Almost too much," Andromeda smirked at Draco and she chuckled lightly. Hermione felt awkward not knowing what the joke was and Andromeda seemed to notice this, "They tried to get me and Draco together, Lady Hermione."

    "Throwing us into one of the closets here in the palace," Draco told her, "Of course, it failed."

    "Oh did it fail," Andromeda laughed.

    "Classic," Draco said under his laughter.

    "What was their message, Andromeda?" Hermione asked a light smile on her face. Clearly, nothing ever happened between Draco and Andromeda except pure friendship and so Hermione suppressed the feeling of jealousy.

    Andromeda cleared her throat and raised her hand, from her fingertips came a light mist, "Blaise, darling, will you help me here?" Hermione's friend stepped forward and raised his dark skinned hand; from it burst a brilliant light, burning like the sun. The mist and the light together formed a rainbow and from the rainbow came an image of Mt. Hogwarts.

_"Good evening, my fellow gods and goddesses," the roaring voice of King Harry (Zeus) echoed across the throne room. He had changed and he no longer looked like the King of the Sky. Harry's hair had grown extremely dark and his eyes were a deep green, blue hinted around the edges. His face was more defined and patches of hair grew along his jaw. His body was more defined as well and covered in thick dull metallic blue armor. A dark blue cloak blew behind him and his hand held his mighty lightning bolt. On his head was his crown made of pure gold but was dull and cracked slightly as if it had a sickness. He stared down from his throne at his siblings and children and other deities as if he was looking down a simple ant, "I have gathered you here today to inform you of your Queen," the immortals turned to each other, whispering gossip and worried questions, "I have dethroned my savage, cheating wife from her throne and in her place I have crowned Hannah," several of the immortals started to protest knowing the lies and truth behind his statement but he silenced them with one flourish of his lightning bolt, a heavy thunder rolling across the floor, "Silence! Hannah is now your Queen and anyone who says against it shall be banished from Mt. Hogwarts," the room was silence at his words and he smiled, evil radiating from it, "Now, may I introduce to you the goddess of the harvest, the new love of my life, and your Queen, Hannah!" the door to the throne room burst open._

_Hannah (Demeter) waltzed forward, each step she took screamed power. Her hair was lush and full and streamed down her back. Her chlamys was black and made her bronze skin pop. She had a long black robe on that drifted onto the floor and on the edge; the fabric flew away, disappearing in the air. Her eyes were sparked with anger and vengeance and many of the immortals back away from her as she made her way to Harry. On the top of her head was a crown made of gold, an exact replica of Harry's, but much more feminine. She joined him on the slightly smaller throne beside him, a smirk on her face, "My King," she said, her voice was toxic. He bowed his head to her before she sat down on the throne. She turned to look at the immortals gathered before them, "My people," she spoke to them, "King Harry has spoken about me, but not about what we are going to do next," she paused, "So, as many of you know, King Draco of the Underworld has taken my daughter again and has waged war against our land. We shall fight back and you all will help us fight for my daughter," some of the immortals burst out into cheer, but many stood silent._

_One brave immortal stood forward and Hannah recognized her as her daughter's close friend, Astoria (Artemis), "King Draco did not take Lady Hermione, Hannah," Astoria growled, her eyes shining silver like the moon, "You know this and we will not stand behind your lies. Where is Queen Ginny (Hera), Hannah?" Astoria challenged her, "Where is she really?" Hannah glared down at her as Astoria turned to look at her fellow immortals, "Do not join this war! It is nothing but lies and will only lead to the destruction of our world and the mortals! It is our job to bring peace and prosperity to our worlds and war is not the answer! King Draco and Lady Hermione are in love! She left of her own free will to be with King Draco rather than bed King Harry!" she pointed a finger at the said king who started to look a little foggy eyed, "Hannah wants her back so she can give Hermione to the highest bidder who will do nothing but ruin her," Astoria turned to Cho (Aphrodite) who stood off to the side on the arm of Theo (Ares), "Tell me Lady Cho, do you not believe that a couple who are in love be together or rather have a random couple  forced together?" Cho looked down at the floor and Astoria could see her answer. She turned back to Hannah, "You will not win, Hannah, you will not win," Hannah had enough._

_"Silence, you... you... you freak!" Hannah exclaimed, her eyes wide with anger. She raised her hand and from it sprang light which raced toward Astoria. Astoria ducked in time as the ball of light missed her and exploded the wall behind her, "I hear by declare that any immortal found to be in league with King Draco is to be banished from Mt. Hogwarts and stripped of their title. They will remain in the mortal world, undying," Hannah looked down at Astoria, "Leave, Lady of the Hunt, and return to my daughter and tell her that I will come to get her and when I do," Hannah smirked, "Oh, let's just say that it won't be pretty."_

_Astoria rose from the ground, realizing she couldn't do anything else to make Hannah or Harry see sense, "May I ask the immortals a question before you banish me?" Hannah thought about it for a moment and, the little sympathy that was left in her made her decide._

_"You may."_

_Astoria turned to her fellow immortals, "Will anyone join me?" The room was still and silent and Astoria knew many of them were only staying put out of fear, "So be it," and she walked toward the door of the throne room._

_"Good bye, Astoria, former Lady of the Moon and Protector of Girls and Mistress of the Hunt," Hannah announced, "May you find your new life a living hell."_

_Astoria turned around, anger in her eyes, in her hands appeared her trusty bow made out of a slice of the moon and on her back appeared her quiver of arrows, each arrow was quick silver. She notched an arrow in her bow and raised it in the air, aiming at Hannah. She let it go and the arrow sprang into action, it hit its mark perfectly. Hannah glanced at the arrow sitting beside her head, a sting of pain on the tip of her ear, "I_ am _the Lady of the Moon_ and _the Protector of Girls_ and _the Mistress of the Hunt and_ will not _be replaced," and she was gone._


	22. Chapter Sixteen

The rainbow disappeared and the light and mist were gone. Draco and Hermione looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear and shock. Hermione's eyes glistened with tears and Draco wrapped his arms around her. She held on tightly to him, her face buried in his chest, her tears soaking into his tunic.

    "We'll be alright, we'll be alright," he whispered in her ear over and over again, rubbing her back soothingly, "We'll be alright," she continued to cry into his tunic. He looked up at the gods and goddesses gathered around, "Please leave us for a moment," all of them except Andromeda (Iris) bowed their head and left, understanding. Andromeda (Iris) looked at the pair in pity, "Yes, Andromeda," his voice was calm and he continued to hold Hermione in his arms.

    "I just wanted to wish you both luck and I know for certain that Astoria (Artemis) will be joining you soon," Andromeda smiled lightly, "She is making a few stops before coming down here."

    "Thank you, Andromeda," he paused, "For everything," he said if for everything and she understood. She nodded in response and she disappeared before them, leaving behind a rainbow which disappeared soon after.

    "Are we alone?" Hermione said between her tears and she hiccupped.

    Draco chuckled and looked down at her, cupping her chin so she looked up at him, "We are," his hand slid up to cup her neck, and she hiccupped again.

    "I'm sorry," she said, her cheeks blooming with blush and she looked down, "I don't like the sound I make," she hiccupped again, "When I hiccup."

    "It's okay," Draco commented, "I actually find it to be quite cute."

    Hermione laughed slightly and hiccupped again, "I'm not usually this emotional either."

    "Hey," Draco said, his hand running through her hair, "Hey, it's okay. Everyone is allowed to be emotional especially you, Hermione. Not everyone has a crazy person as a mother," he joked innocently and Hermione chuckled a little.

    "She is pretty crazy, isn't she?" and Hermione sighed, the laughter leaving her system quickly, "I never saw it, Draco. The signs were there and I never saw them," she looked at him, new tears in her eyes, "I'm such a little fool."

    "No, you're not," Draco said, his fingers drying the tears on her cheeks, "You are not a fool, Hermione. You are beautiful and intelligent _and_ kind and I love you. I'll admit,  I do wish we had met differently than we did, but I am not sorry. You want to know why?" Hermione nodded, slightly confused at his words, "Because I got to meet you and got to have this love with you. It is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are my soul mate, Hermione, and we _will_ survive this war together."

    Hermione smiled brightly, her tears now flowing out of happiness, "I love you too, Draco," and she grabbed his neck, pulling him down to her level. She touched their lips together, molding once more perfectly to each other. Draco moaned, his hands latching onto her hips, bringing her closer to him. Hermione's hand traveled into his blonde hair, yanking at it softly. Their armor clanged together suddenly causing both of them to smile against each other.

    "Hmmmm," Draco murmured against her lips, "Hermione," he tried to speak, but she was persistent. Draco chuckled inside his mind, _my how the tables have turned_. Once upon a time, he had been the one all over her and now she couldn't keep her paws off him, "Hermione, my dear, I have a gift for you."

    "Hmmm, what?" she broke away from him for second before placing her lips back on his. She was so addicted to him now like those pomegranate seeds she had eaten; she couldn't stop herself from having him and tasting him on her tongue.

    "Hermione," Draco moaned, "No matter how," he paused, his hands traveling up to her back, his fingers lightly dancing on the bare skin between her armor and her arm, "much I want to keep doing this," Hermione's fingers tightened in his hair at his sudden gentle attack on her arms, "There is a war going on."

    Hermione sighed and let go of his lips, looking into his silver eyes with her soft chocolate brown ones, "What is this gift, you speak of?"

    Draco stepped away from her and to the thick oak table sitting against the wall. On top of it were several maps of the world, both immortal and mortal, and a cloth bundle. Draco picked up the bundle in his arms and walked back to her, a devilish smirk on his face, "I had the armory make this for you this morning and they just finished it," he opened the bundle open in his arms.

    Within it was a long, black bow. Engraved along the dark wood was silver vines and leaves and the string was strong hew. The bow lay on top of the sheath which was strong, black leather and mirrored the bow. The arrows that lay within were made of black wood also, but the feather ends were red, blood red. Her jaw dropped in shock at such a gift, "Draco," she reached for it, her fingers running along the smooth wood. She picked it up, the wood molded to her perfectly, and she smiled. She picked the sheath, the leather soft beneath her fingers. She looked back at the cloth and noticed that there were two daggers lying there still. They were quick silver like Draco's eyes and the handle was wrapped in black cloth again. Laying the bow and sheath on the ground at her feet, she took the daggers in her hands and placed them in the two strips of leather wrapped around her thigh. Draco looked down at her creamy thigh and resisted the urge to touch her. Hermione looked up at him, a knowing smirk on her face.

    Draco cleared his throat, "One more thing," he shifted the cloth in his arms and Hermione watched as it transformed into a cloak, "A Queen needs a cloak," Hermione took it from his arms and swung it around her body. The cloth was thin and the bottom dragged across the ground. On her shoulders was white fur and Hermione recognized its consistency.

    "Lion?" Hermione asked and turned to Draco. He nodded a loving smile on his face.

    "For my courageous soon-to-be wife," Draco responded and Hermione smiled up at him, love glowing in her eyes.

    "Thank you, my Draco," she said and stood up on her tiptoes, her lips touching his.


	23. Chapter Seventeen

King Draco (Hades) and Queen Hermione (Persephone) looked down upon the dark land, bonfires illuminating the gathering. Below them, ghosts formed legions and war machinery from the ages piled in behind them. Hermione noted that there were several legions of woman, too, and it made her happy seeing all of them lined up ready to fight. Of those legions of woman, Hermione saw some Amazonian woman. At the front of one of them, Hermione recognized Antiope, a powerful woman who was taken down by Theseus, his companions, and Hercules. Hermione smiled down at her and Antiope bowed her head in respect at the Queen of the Underworld, her eyes glowing with revenge.

    "My people!" Draco's voice echoed across the landscape. Everything became silent save for the crackling of the fire around them, "Today we go into battle against King Harry (Zeus) of the Sky and newly crowned Queen Hannah (Demeter). We go to battle not just for my sake and my Queen's, but for _our_ freedom!" the ghosts riled themselves up at this, and they screamed in cheer, "Freedom to say _what_ we want!" the ground shook, "Freedom to love _who_ we want!" everything was terribly loud, "Freedom to _be_ what we want!" Hermione couldn't help herself, but join in with her people, "Tomorrow!" Draco was wild, his face terrible and full of joy, "Tomorrow we shall dine in the Elysian Fields!" and the whole Underworld shook and screamed and was born again in that moment. Hermione could feel it in her bones and she could tell that Draco did too. They looked at each other, smiles on their face. They would win this war.  
  


AN: Antiope is played in this story by Grace Jones


	24. Part Five

"A gleam -- a gleam -- from Ida's height,

By the Fire-god sent, it came;

From watch to watch it leapt, that light,

As a rider rode the flame!

It shot through the startled sky,

And the torch of that blazing glory

Old Lemnos caught on high,

On its holy promontory,

And sent it on, the jocund sign,

To Athos, Mount of Jove divine.

Wildly the while, it rose from the isle,

So that the might of the journeying Light

Skimmed over the back of the gleaming brine!

Farther and faster speeds it on,

Till the watch that keeps

Macistus steep

See it burst like a blazing Sun!"

- _The Beacon Fires from Agamemnon_ by Aeschylus


	25. Chapter Eighteen

The land that the battle would take place on was flat with some rolling hills. Small creeks flowed down from Mt. Hogwarts, the water clear and pure. It was dry area even though it lay between the great Mt. Hogwarts and the crashing waves of the Aegean Sea. The land was perfect for a battle of the immortals; a balance of all their worlds so no one would have the advantage over the other. Harry (Zeus) had Mt. Hogwarts and sky rising above the land. Neville (Poseidon) had the Aegean Sea crashing onto the beach. Draco (Hades) had the land between the two and everything beneath it.

Suddenly a petite, dark haired woman dashed across the landscape, flying swiftly on her feet, two hunting dogs nipping at her feet. She wore a light cloak which glowed silver, a bow grasped in her hands. She came to a stop, the dogs halting behind her, their tongues hanging out their mouths. She glanced right and left, looking for any signs of the Army of the Underworld, but she couldn't see anyone. She walked carefully in one direction, her feet not making a sound. Her eyes razed the landscape, _where are they?_

Without warning, the ground began to shake beneath her feet and she paused, crouching low to the ground to keep herself stable. Her hunting dogs started barking frantically and running around her feet. She growled at them and they stopped what they were doing, coming to stand at her feet, whimpering slightly. Before her, one of the hills split open, revealing a black pit. It glowed a passion red and black shadows seeped out of it. The woman smiled as the Underworld spilled out onto the land. For once in her long immortal life, the darkness no longer symbolized evil, but hope and freedom. The darkness was the light.

From the pit came a chariot; gleaming a rich gold, faces carved into the side screaming in human misery. Inside the chariot stood two tall immortals, their hands clasped together and resting on the skulls which rimmed the chariot. Their faces were emotionless until their eyes met the dark haired woman's. Behind the chariot came two ghosts and a pair of greyhounds. As the sun hit the ghosts, their pale skin started to take form and they began to heal. Antonius looked down at his arm and watched in a mix of horror and joy as his arm reappeared. Lavender looked down at her body and watched as her scars and bruises disappeared and her clothing stitched itself together. Their eyes shined with life, the death and sadness completely gone.

"Astoria (Artemis)!" Hermione shouted her smile wide as she looked at the woman.

The dark haired woman pulled her silver hood down and her smile shined brightly like the moon, "Hermione!" Hermione jumped off of the chariot and ran toward her best friend, Draco following behind her slowly. Lavender and Antonius, meanwhile, stared at each other in wonder, poking at each other wondering if what was happening to them was real. The two female immortals embraced, tears streaming down their face.

"I thought you were gone," Hermione said, "I saw what my mother did to you, I thought I lost you."

"Even your mother cannot put down a goddess such as me like some common dog," Astoria responded and they let go of each other.

"I am so happy to see you," Hermione said.

"And I am so happy to see you," Astoria responded.

"Good day, Lady Astoria," Draco came up behind Hermione, placing a hand on her waist.

Astoria smiled at the Lord of the Dead, "King Draco, it is good to see you again," she bowed her head.

"And I you," Draco said, smiling at her in a friendly manner.

"Are you joining us, Astoria?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Astoria said and looked behind them, "Is it just us then?" she asked slightly disappointed in her fellow immortals.

"Oh no," Draco chuckled lightly. Hermione just smiled at her friend. Draco placed two fingers to his lips and blew. From his mouth came a high pitched whistle sound and the ground began to shake again, even louder. Astoria's eyes landed on the gaping mouth of hell in the ground and watched as a large three headed dog came out of the ground flanked by eleven gods, most of whom she recognized. Behind them came ghosts, legions of ghost, their skin turning whole and creamy as it hit the sun. Draco turned back to Astoria, "Is this enough?"

Astoria's mouth dropped and then she began to chuckled, "Oh my goddesses, this is amazing," ghosts marched on, the dead being brought back to life around them, "How did you get this many?"

"A very good persuasion speech from the Queen of the Underworld," Draco praised Hermione, squeezing her to his side in a hug.

Astoria turned to her, "Oh I forgot! Congratulations," she then bowed deeply at her friend, "Your Majesty."

"Oh, Astoria, please stand," Hermione said, smile on her face, "I hate to see you on the ground like this," Astoria stood, a teasing grin on her own.

"Well, we must go help the ghosts set up camp," Draco said, "We'll leave you to catch up with your friends," Draco motioned to the eleven immortals standing behind them.

"Thanks so much for coming, Astoria," Hermione said and hugged her.

"Of course," Astoria said and when they let go of each other, Hermione and Draco left her and the other immortals. Astoria watched them get back in their chariot, two ghosts joining them, and go riding off down in the hills to set up camp. She smiled, her best friend had become a Queen overnight and she just radiated pure power.

"Astoria," a familiar male voice called to her and she turned to look back at the other immortal. She smiled brightly, her smile reflecting his light, at the man who called out to her.

"Blaise (Apollo)."

**|** **AN** :|

The setting for this place is on the plains of Litochoro which is at the foot of Mt. Olympus in Greece.


	26. Chapter Nineteen

Warning: Sex Scene  
<><><><>

The camp was officially set up come night and was alive with laughter and dancing around bonfires. On Mt. Hogwarts, the ghosts observed the subtle orange glow radiating from the top; a repetitive reminder of the battle that will break out tomorrow. King Draco (Hades) looked away from it, a sigh escaping his lips. He walked through the war tent maze, following the path to his tent. He smiled at some of the ghost soldiers as they passed him, more careful to not bump into them now that they were solid again. They bowed their heads and smiled at him before going on their way.

He finally came to his tent on the outskirts of the camp near the sea, away from Mt. Hogwarts. His tent was large and made out of black fabric, a silver flag flying above it. He walked through the large opening, his eyes landing on the large wooden table covered in maps of the landscape surrounding them. His eyes glanced to his right, where several blankets and a large tapestry hung. He pulled them to the side, revealing a small room covered in pillows and silk blankets. Two fire torches made the whole area warm and illuminated.

His quick silver eyes landed on his Queen who sat on one of the pillows, a role of parchment on her lap. She now wore a white silk night gown that flowed around her like the wind. Her hair was dark and lush, falling down her back in a brown waterfall. Her lips moved in silent words as her quill moved across the parchment. He watched as part of her night gown fell from her shoulder, revealing her pale skinned shoulder.

"Who are you writing to?" Draco asked as he made his way to her.

Hermione looked up at him, slightly startled at his sudden appearance, "My father," at Draco's confused expression Hermione explained further, "I want him to know some things before we go to war tomorrow."

"Why don't you go talk to him?" he took a seat next to her, his eyes glancing at her bare shoulder every now and then.

"I would, but he ran off into the hills with Hypnos," she said, a smirk on her face, "I don't think anyone wants to go after them."

Draco chuckled lightly, "Understandable," Hermione looked down at her piece of parchment and continued writing. Draco raised his hand to her shoulder, his grey eyes glancing toward her face and back to her shoulder. His cold fingers touched the soft skin beneath her shoulder blade, his fingers moving in a gentle migration across her skin over and over again. Hermione gasped softly, her fingers dropping the reed pen onto the parchment on her lap. Draco smirked and leaned his body toward her ear. His lips attached to her neck and Hermione's brown eyes feel shut, her mouth falling open in pleasure. His lips traveled up to her ear, soft, slow, agonizing, pleasure falling upon her neck.

Quietly, Draco whispered in her ear, "Come with me."

Hermione turned to look at him, her eyes dark with lust as she did so. She smiled at him, before leaning toward him, her lips touching his briefly before pulling away. Draco licked his lips at her answer and stood up, holding his hand out to her. She took it and stood up, the parchment falling to the floor completely forgotten. He then pulled her out of the small room and into the dark landscape surrounding them.

Draco led them to a small pool of water he found on one of the scouting missions he did when they first got there. As soon as he saw it, he knew Hermione would love it. A pool was illuminated by the moon, the water turning a smoky color- like liquid ink. Large trees surrounded the pool, providing privacy to anyone who came there.

"Draco," Hermione responded to the pool appearing before her.

"Come with me," he said again and pulled her to the edge of the pool. She came to stand before him, half her face illuminated by the moon. Raising his pale hand, he cupped the side of her face; his thumb running slowly over her cheek bones. He leaned down and connected their lips, their eyes falling shut. His hand fell from the side of her face to cup the back of her head and neck. Her hands fell to his chest in response; soft, pleasurable sounds fell from her mouth into his.

Draco slowly traced her shoulder, down her arm, to her hips; his other hand falling behind the other. His fingers grasped the edge of the white night gown and pulled it up past her thighs, waist, and to her breast. Here, her arms fell from his chest and he pulled her night gown off completely from her naked body. Hermione sealed their lips again, her hands falling through his hair; pulling lightly on the blonde strands. Meanwhile, Draco pulled at the leather buckles holding his armor to his body and fell to the forest floor, clanging softly as they hit each other.

Hermione pulled away from him, suddenly, and Draco froze in his spot, his grey eyes searching hers, confused. She smirked at him, stepping away from him toward the pool. Her body glowed in the light of the moon, her curves more pronounce. His silver eyes roamed over her as she walked backwards into the pond, the ink water lapping at her ankles. She raised her arms, her fingers moving through the air like water. All around them white lilies began to grow, popping above the water with glorious color. Draco finished getting his armor and under garments off of him and began to stalk towards his Queen.

Hermione stood in the middle of the pool, the water lapping at her collarbones. Confidence shot through her as Draco came to stand before her in the dark water. She jumped onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist and her hands entangled themselves in his hair. Draco made a noise of surprise, but Hermione's lips silenced him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, shifting her so she landed on top of his growing erection. Hermione moaned into his mouth, her hips joked into Draco's own at the sudden feeling that he was causing in her.

"Hermione," Draco moaned into Hermione's mouth.

"Draco," she responded as her hips continued to rock and meet his own.

Draco's lips suddenly fell away from hers and made their way down her cheek and onto her neck. Hermione's head fell back as his lips sucked hard on the juncture between her shoulder and neck. She continued to grind against him, heat pooling between her thighs. The water splashed and their chest as she did so.

Suddenly, she stopped, Draco noticed and came up from her neck; a dark, purple spot appearing on her skin. Draco smiled proudly down at his mark and looked into her chocolate eyes. Bravery flooded them and she reached down between both of their bodies and took his length in her hand. Draco gasped, his eyes going wide, and his forehead dropped to her shoulder. Hermione smirked at his reaction, his personality rubbing off on her.

Taking his length, she maneuvered her body so the tip of him brushed her core. Carefully, she slid her body down all the way on top of him. Draco's fingers clutched at her body as he was swallowed by her, bruises forming on her hips. Hermione grasped as she was filled by him, the ache she had felt with him the first time was no longer there and she was wrapped in pleasure once more. Draco turned up to her, his lips finding hers blindly.

"Where did you learn that?" he asked his voice low and breathy.

"It's amazing how fast of a learner I am," she answered him, her voice a gemini to his.

Draco chuckled lightly before sealing their lips again and he began a steady rhythm with his hips against hers. Each push and pull brought out a pleasurable sound from both of them and they each swallowed each other's voice. No one would hear those voices except each other. Hermione clung to him like a lioness submitting to the alpha lion. She mewed and he roared. The irony to all of this was that neither of them was supposed to be this animalistic and passionate and yet here they are; howling at the moon, dancing around the bonfires, and making love under the stars. She was the goddess of spring time, gentle and kind, and he was the god of the underworld, silent and peaceful. Together, though, they were the king and queen of the underworld, a beautiful exodus with a beautiful beginning.

"Hermione," he murmured against her soft, petal lips as his hips continued to move against hers. Heat and pleasure were building up in each of their bodies and Draco found that Hermione was suddenly becoming very heavy. He moved them onto the beach, laying Hermione down gently on the grass. He kissed her neck and followed an invisible trail down her chest. He kissed her breasts, his tongue licking them softly. Hermione gasped her legs wrapping tighter around his waist, her fingers forming purple bruises on his back.

Draco suddenly rose from her chest, placing his hands on either side of her shoulders, and he looked down at her. His hips moved faster and faster against hers; breathy gasps escaping his lips. Hermione looked up into his eyes and she gasped again. The pleasure built up inside of them and then it overflowed their bodies. The rubber band snapped and Draco's seed shot up into Hermione's womb. Hermione gasped, trying so hard not to scream in pleasure. Her back arched into Draco, a perfect arch forming with her body.

They both dropped to the ground, their bodies completely spent. Draco slipped himself from Hermione's core, but collapsed back on top of her. Hermione smiled as she caught her breath, her fingers fell into Draco's hair and she began to gently weave through it. Draco kissed Hermione's chest before making his way down her stomach before going back up to her chest again.


	27. Chapter Twenty

   "I love you, you know," Draco's sultry voice broke through the silence.

"I know, I love you, too," Hermione responded, her eyes looking away from her King's silver ones before looking up at the stars, "You know, my love, you still haven't told me that story."

"What story?" Draco studied his Queen, his body growing tired from Hermione's petting and the intense sex they had moments before. He yawned.

"Never mind, you're too tired."

"No, I'm not," he said and crawled up Hermione's body, caging her beneath him again, "What story?"

"The Tales of Beadle and the Bard," Hermione gave in.

"Oh," Draco gave a chuckle as he remembered the book, "Well, I only remember one story from perfection."

"Anything is fine with me," Hermione said and looked up at him, "As long as I get to hear you tell the story."

Draco chuckled and rolled off of Hermione. She pulled herself close to him, throwing one of her legs over his. The weather was warm out now and so the water on their bodies dried very quickly, their bodies barely sticking. She nuzzled herself into Draco's side, his arm coming to wrap around her naked waist. He cleared his throat, " _There was once a handsome, rich, and talented young sorcerer, who observed that his friends grew foolish when they fell in love, gamboling and preening, losing their appetites and their dignity,"_ Hermione looked up to the stars, imaging the story play out before her in the sky, _"The young sorcerer resolved never to fall prey to such weakness, and employed Dark Magic to ensure his immunity._

_"Unaware of his secret, the sorcerer's family laughed to see him so aloof and cold._

_"'All will change,' they prophesied, 'when a young slave girl or governor's daughter catches his fancy!'_

_"But the young sorcerers fancy remained untouched. Though many a maiden was intrigued by his haughty mien, and employed her most subtle arts to please him, none succeeded in touching his heart. The warlock gloried in his indifference, and the sagacity that had produced it._

_"The first freshness of youth waned, and the sorcerer's peers began to wed, and then to bring forth children._

_"'Their hearts must be husks,' he sneered inwardly as he observed the children of the young parents around him, 'shriveled by the demands of these mewling offspring!'_

_"And once again he congratulated himself upon the wisdom of his early choice._

_"In due course, the sorcerer's aged parents died. Their son did not mourn them; on the country, he considered himself blessed by their demise. Now he reigned alone in their palace. Moving his greatest treasure to the deepest dungeons, he gave himself over to a life of ease and plenty, his comfort the only win of his many servants._

_"The sorcerer was sure that he must be an object of immense envy to all who beheld his splendid and untroubled solitude. Fierce were his anger and wrath, therefore, when he over-heard two of his servants discussing their master one day._

_"The first servant expressed pity for the sorcerer, who, with all his wealth and power, was yet beloved by nobody._

_"But his companion jeered, asking why a man with so much gold and a palace to his name had been unable to attract a wife._

_"Their words dealt dreadful blows to the listening sorcerer's pride. He resolved at once to take a wife, and that she would be a wife superior to all others. She would possess astounding beauty, exciting envy and desire in every man who beheld her; so that their offspring would inherit outstanding magical gifts; and she would have wealth at least equal to his own, so that his comfortable existence would be assured in spite of additions to his household._

_"It might have taken the sorcerer fifty years to find such a woman, yet it happened that the very day after he decided to seek her, a maiden answering his every wish arrived in the small village to visit her kinfolk._

_"She was a governor's daughter of prodigious skill and possessed of much gold. Her beauty was such that it tugged at the heart of every man who set eyes on her; of every man, that is, except one. The sorcerer's heart felt nothing at all. Nevertheless, she was the prize he sought, so he began to pay her court._

_"All who noticed the sorcerer's change in manners were amazed, and told the maiden that she had succeeded where a hundred had failed._

_"The young woman herself was both fascinated and repelled by the sorcerer's attentions. She sensed the coldness that lay behind the warmth of his flattery, and had never met a man so strange and remote. Her kinfolk, however, deemed theirs a most suitable match, and, eager to promote it, accepted the sorcerer's invitation to a great fest in the maiden's honor._

_"The table was laden with silver and gold, bearing the finest wines and most sumptuous foods. Minstrels strummed on silk-stringed lutes and sang a love their master never felt. The governor's daughter sat upon a throne beside the sorcerer, who spoke low, employing words of tenderness he had stolen from the poets, without any idea of their true meaning._

_"The maiden listened, puzzled, and finally replied, 'you speak well, Sorcerer, and I would be delighted by your attentions, if only I thought you had a heart!'_

_"The warlock smiled, and told her that she need not year on that score. Bidding her fellow, he led her from the feast and down to the locked dungeon where he kept his greatest treasure._

_"Here, in an enchanted crystal casket, was the sorcerer's beating heart._

_"Long since disconnected from eyes, ear, and fingers, it had never fallen prey to beauty, or a musical voice, to feel the silken skin. The maiden was terrified by the sight of it, for the heart was shrunken and covered in long black hair._

_"'Oh, what have you done?" she lamented. 'Put it back where it belongs, I beseech you!'_

_"Seeing that this was necessary to please her, the sorcerer drew his wand, unlocked the crystal casket, sliced open his own breast, and replaced the hairy heart in the empty cavity it had once occupied._

_"'Now you are healed and will know true love!' cried the maiden, and she embraced him._

_"The touch of her soft white arms, the sound of her breath in his ear, the scent of her heavy golden hair: all pierced the newly awakened heart like spears. But it had grown strange during its long exile, blind and savage in the darkness to which it had been condemned, and its appetites had grown powerful and perverse._

_"The guests at the feast had noticed the absence of their host and the maiden. At first untroubled, they grew anxious as the hours passed, and finally began to search the castle._

_"They found the dungeon at last, and a most dreadful sigh awaited them there._

_"The maiden lay dead upon the floor, her breast cut open, and beside her crouched the mad sorcerer, holding in one bloody hand a great, smooth, shinning scarlet heart, which he licked and stroked, vowing to exchange it for his own._

_"In his other hand, he held his wand, trying to coax from his own chest the shriveled, hairy heart. But the hairy heart was stronger than he was, and refused to relinquish its hold upon his senses or to return to the coffin in which it had been locked for so long._

_"Before the horror-struck eyes of his guests, the sorcerer cast aside his wand, and seized a silver dagger. Vowing never to be mastered by his own heart, he hacked it from his chest._

_"For one moment, the sorcerer knelt triumphant, with a heart clutched in each hand; then he fell across the governor's daughter's body, and died."_

Hermione's eyes prickled with tears as Draco concluded the story, "Are all the stories like that?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"Not all," Draco responded, his glazed over.

"Why did you pick that particular story to memorize?" she asked.

"Because I feel like that is what would happen to me if I fell in love," he responded, "This was before I found you."

Hermione shifted her body, her elbow folding up underneath her, holding her head to look down at him, "Why would you think that?"

Draco's silver eyes connected with hers, "Because I thought I would never be able to find love."  
  
  


Author's Note/ Disclaimer:

All rights to J.K. Rowling for the short story _The Warlock's Hairy Heart_ from _The Tales of Beedle and the Bard._ Some words were changed to make it more realistic of this time period in Ancient Greece.


	28. Chapter Twenty-One

Antonius stared at the fire outside of his own personal tent, fire danced in his cobalt blue eyes. A couple tents over, a large bonfire was ablaze and shadows of the underworld's army danced across the flames. A heavy drum beat echoed across the ground and moaning of an ancient hymn reached his ears.

    His blue eyes followed one shadow, a female wearing a long grey servant girl's gown. The sleeves fell from her shoulders, landing on her arms baring her shoulders to the world. Her curly blonde hair fell from her head in a long waterfall, daises mixed among the strands. Her eyes were shut and her head fell backwards as she danced around the bonfire, her hands floating around her. He stared at her lustfully; the need to finally have her was too strong.

    He stood up and walked over to the bonfire, everything was a fog around him except for the servant girl he needed. He came up on the bonfire and she twirled into him, her hair flying into his face, his nose flooded with the smell of daises, just as the song ended. She looked up at him, her brown eyes large with shock before turning into happiness.

    The next song started, a much more raw and pagan sound now flooded the landscape. It filled Antonius with animalistic lust and the need to claim her was overflowing his senses. He leaned down into her ear, his hands coming up to rest on her hips and whispered, "Lavender."

    She froze at his voice before leaning back into his body as he twirled her to stand in front of her. The other dancers grabbed their own partners and they began to dance. Antonius ran his hands up and down her waist and thighs gently waiting for her to push him away saying she didn't like him that way or because of her part, but she did neither. She stayed in front of him, her head thrown back against his shoulder, eyes shut to the world. Her hands rested themselves on his and guided him up and down her body. They began to rub against each other and then she spun out of his arms and he followed, rubbing themselves on one another as they made their way around the bonfire.

    Antonius was reminded of his memories with her, when he first met her:

_He was walking through the food gardens around the palace, searching for something that King Draco might desire. So far, he had found nothing. Oranges, pomegranates, olives, grapes, and plums were none of King Draco's favorites. He then walked into the apple orchard and froze. Their on the ground was a young woman, maybe about two decades old. She was curled around herself, her servant's clothes torn and her skin was dotted permanently with dirt and dark bruises. He could see the truth of what she had been through and what she died from in those bruises. He walked carefully up to her and gently touched her arm with his one hand. She gasped suddenly and sat up, her eyes wide with fear. She looked around at her surroundings before looking at him._

_His eyes went wide as he took her in. She had long, curly, blond hair; dirty like the Franks of the North, but her skin was the color of a Greek. Her eyes were chocolate spheres and he could see the pain within them. She was beautiful and he had never seen a woman such as her before._

_"Who are you?" she asked her voice music to his ear._

_"My name is Antonius," he responded, "I am King Draco's new personal servant."_

_She looked around before back at him, her eyes glancing at his missing limb, "King Draco? Am I...?" she trailed off, but he knew what she meant._

_He nodded, "Yes, you're in the Underworld," she sighed and looked around as she got up off the ground. He stood up next to her, "What's your name?"_

_She turned to look at him, sadness filling her eyes and never once in his life did he want to make someone so happy, "Lavender."_

_He smiled at her, "Well Lavender, how about I take you to see King Draco? I think you will like his judgment on you," being Draco's personal servant definitely had its perks._

    Lavender and Antonius stopped dancing and stood before each other. Brown connected with cobalt, the fire burned bright in their eyes. The dancers continued around them, dancing with each other in their ancient steps. Raising his hand, he cupped Lavender's cheek softly and she leaned into it, her hands coming up to cup his hand. Her hand then ran up his arm, her fingertips tracing the muscles in his new arm, before coming to his neck.

    There she played the tuffs of blonde hair and her eyes connected with his again. He stayed still as she explored him. Then she rose up on the tips of her feet and with the music growing faster and faster around them, she connected their lips. His hands landed softly on her hips, she flinched and before he could pull away, she pushed her lips against his harder. He moaned against her and she reciprocated it, her hands tugging pleasurably in his hair.

    Lavender pulled away and looked up at him, a smile tugging at her lips. Antonius smiled back, complete happiness filling him at making her smile like that, "Do you want to...?" she trailed off and motioned toward their shared tent. He knew what she was talking about.

    "Only if you want to," the music was now going at a steady drum beat around them.

    Lavender looked down at the fire for a moment before looking up at him and she nodded, "I do," and Antonius lead her away, the music still going in its ancient beat behind them.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Two

Hermione (Persephone) and Draco (Hades) made their way back to their tent, their hands clasped together. A dull ache resided between Hermione's thighs and Draco felt exhausted still from their activities. When they got to the tent, Draco pulled back one of the sides of the tent for Hermione and she walked in. He came behind her, but she stopped in her tracks causing him to run into her.

"Hermione, what-?" he froze as his eyes landed on the figure lounging in the pillows on one side of the tent, long fingers popping pieces of fruit from the nearby hills.

"Queen Ginny (Hera)," Hermione said.

Queen Ginny (Hera) looked up at the goddess of spring time, a smile on her face. She dropped the grape back on the plate and stood up from her nest in the pillows. She wore a long, dark green chlamys, a black robe falling behind her. Her red hair flowed down her back; the sides pulled up and braided to form a tiara on her head. Golden thread was weaved through the braids and flowed down her red hair, "It's just Ginny, now, Hermione," she walked toward the pair, "Or should I call you Queen Hermione? Congratulations, by the way. If you ever need help of advice, you know where to message me."

"Hermione, please, and thank you," Hermione took careful steps forward, quite taken back by the fallen queen's attitude toward her.

Ginny then turned to Draco, "Brother."

"Sister," Draco nodded to her, "What are you doing here?"

"Joining the fight," she simply said.

"But Harry (Zeus)?" Hermione asked, wrapping her dusty white nightgown around her body.

Hermione watched Ginny's blue eyes go electric before calming down, "I know about him. I'm not fighting him; I'm fighting my sister, Hannah (Demeter). I know my Harry wouldn't betray our world nor me in such a way," her tone was sad and Hermione felt pity for the goddess of marriage, "That's why I am here. For Harry," Hermione watched was her eyes began to water and Draco's mouth almost dropped for he had never seen his sister cry like this before, "I love him, Hermione. Out of all the immortals you should know what that feels like. You're the only immortal who knows what it is like to love truly is. I can see the way you and my brother are and I'm jealous," Hermione ran toward the goddess and took her in her arms as she cried, "I love him so much, Hermione," Draco was still frozen to the spot at the emotions Ginny was releasing, "I don't what I'd be without him."

"You'd still be you, Ginny," Hermione responded, "Strong, powerful, a goddess that any god would love to have. King Harry is lucky to have you and I know he loves you."

Ginny shook her head, her red hair sticking to her tear streaked face, "No, he doesn't."

"Yes, he does, Ginny," Hermione said, her eyes glancing toward Draco who simply stared at the two goddesses, "Have you ever wondered why none of the gods tried to get your attention?" Ginny was silent so Hermione continued, "King Harry was the reason. He made sure no god came toward you with unwanted attentions. He wanted the whole world to know that you belonged to him, that you were his Queen."

Draco unfroze from his spot and came up next to his sister, "Trust me, sister. Hermione speaks the truth. Harry came up to me many eons ago asking me questions regarding my feeling and intentions for you. I told him, slightly confused at all of this, and he accepted it," Ginny seemed to have calmed down, "Sister, there is nothing that a king would not do for his Queen. He would take away the sun or melt the stars from the night sky because of his Queen. That type of love is hard to break. Not even Hannah's (Demeter) stolen magic can break that."

Ginny nodded, happiness filling her body at her brother's words, "Wait, stolen?" Hermione asked her brown eyes wide, "What do you mean?"

"Hannah," Ginny suddenly said, her head lifting from Hermione's shoulder, her face red and hair disheveled, "Was the only one of the Great Six born who did not have magic. So, she gained magic through other means," at Hermione's confused face, Draco answered.

"Her body."

Ginny nodded, "She was very good at seducing the other gods and Titans, but she never gave them her body. She was loved by all, but it wasn't enough for her."

"So," Draco continued the story, a heavy pressure he didn't know was on his chest disappeared, "One night, Harry was having another party, the last one I was ever allowed to come to," Ginny's face fell with sorrow, regret, and disappointment, "She had decided that she would finally give her body to one of the gods in exchange for their magic. All of it."

"She found her victim easily," Ginny said, "A tall minor god, handsome and dreamy in his own way."

"My father," Hermione said.

Ginny nodded, "Yes, your father. She seduced him easily and got him to give her his magic."

"What was his magic?" Hermione asked, her mind running at millions miles at this new found knowledge, "What was my father's magic?"

"Hypnosis," a sudden voice interrupted them and all three gods turned toward the entrance of the tent. Two gods stood there and Hermione recognized them as her father and his companion, "Dreams, and make people fall asleep."

"Father," Hermione stepped toward her father, her brown eyes going misty.

Morpheus raised his hand to stop her and he sighed, "Know that I would give up my magic and my immortality in a heartbeat, Hermione, for you. You are the best thing that has happened to me," he stopped and glanced at Hypnos next to him, "Well, one of them," he chuckled, "I know I haven't been there for you, but I've watched over you and seen you grow into this beautiful, smart goddess before me. I'm proud to call you my daughter."

"Father," Hermione rushed forward toward Morpheus and hugged him. Morpheus' face crumpled up in pain at her bugs before returning to a dull ache given to him from Hypnos.

"Your mother loves you, too, sweetheart," Morpheus whispered in his daughter's ear, "Don't forget that no matter what," and they released each other, Hermione looking at him with doubt.

"Well," Draco suddenly announced, clapping his hands together, "Now that we have gotten a few things clarified, I need to ask you guys to leave. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and we need our strength."

Hermione said goodbye to her father and Ginny before they all left. Ginny gave her a large hug and whispered, "Thank you," for all the words that she had spoken. Once everyone was gone, Draco came up behind Hermione wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Come, my Queen," he whispered in her ear, "Our nest awaits us," and Hermione led them into the side room filled with silk pillows.


	30. Part Six

"I'd still love you,

If the world stops spinning

If heaven and hell tear us apart

If you ever forget me

I'd still love you,

If I find out you weren't made for me

If these years in my life were nothing but a lesson

If we were just a bad dream

Darling, I'd still love you,

If I never hold you in my arms

If I never hear you speak

I'd still love you,

If one day I love another and

If you don't love me,

I'd still love you."

\- Richa Gill


End file.
